President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has urged African entrepreneurs, business leaders and wealthy individuals to invest in the development of the continent.

Speaking while hosting participants of the Global CEO Africa Programme from Lagos Business School and Strathmore Business School, Nairobi, after a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Dangote emphasised that with the right investments, Africa had the potential to grow and compete globally.

He asserted that what the continent needed were bold and transformative projects capable of addressing its long-standing challenges. Citing the successful construction of the world’s largest single-train refinery, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, as proof that nothing was impossible, he maintained that similar achievements could be replicated across sectors to drive economic growth.

Acknowledging policy inconsistency and infrastructural challenges, Dangote encouraged the visiting CEOs not to be deterred but to remain ambitious while acquiring deep knowledge of their respective industries.

“If you think small, you don’t grow. If you think big, you grow. It’s better to try and fail than never to try at all,” he advised the 24 CEOs in attendance from six African countries.

Academic Director of the Global CEO Africa Programme at Lagos Business School, Patrick Akinwuntan, explained that the initiative was designed to inspire Africa’s future business leaders.

The programme, in partnership with Strathmore Business School in Nairobi, comprises three modules, requiring participants to spend a week each in Nairobi (Kenya), Lagos (Nigeria), and New Haven (USA).

The Dean of Lagos Business School, Prof Olayinka David-West, stated that the visit aligned with the school’s mission of grooming leaders capable of addressing Africa’s complex social and institutional challenges.

CEO of Nigeria’s Financial Reporting Council and a participant in the programme, Dr Rabiu Olowo, said the visit had reignited the need for bold and courageous thinking in pursuing sustainable national development.

The visiting CEOs also included global banking leader, Segun Aina; Managing Director of Family Bank, Nairobi, Nancy Njau; Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for Cameroon, CEMAC, and CESA Region at Ecobank, Emmanuel Wakili; and former President of the CFA Society Nigeria, Ibukun Oyedeji, among others.