Femi Otedola calls Dangote Refinery ‘eighth wonder’ during President Tinubu visit

Key Points

• Femi Otedola hails Dangote Refinery as “eighth wonder,” praising its scale after President Tinubu’s visit to the $20 billion Lagos facility.
• Tinubu calls the refinery a “great phenomenon,” credits Dangote, Otedola, Rabiu, and Ovia as Nigeria’s “four wise men” driving economic progress.
• Bill Gates joins Nigerian business elite at refinery tour, signaling rising global interest in Nigeria’s reforms and infrastructure-led growth.

Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Femi Otedola has praised the $20 billion Dangote Refinery as the “eighth wonder of the modern era” following a high-profile visit by President Bola Tinubu to the massive industrial complex in Lagos.

Otedola, chairman of Geregu Power and First HoldCo — the parent company of FirstBank — joined other leading business leaders at the event, including Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Gates’ presence underscored the growing global interest in Nigeria’s economic potential and ongoing market reforms.

Tinubu tours Dangote Refinery, backs vision

President Tinubu toured the refinery and petrochemical plant on Thursday, calling it “a massive investment and point of reference.” In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Otedola reflected on the moment. “Today, I witnessed history,” he wrote. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our visionary leader, visited the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Plant — the largest single-train refinery in the world — built by my dear friend and brother, Aliko Dangote.”

The President also commissioned several completed infrastructure projects, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road. Otedola noted that Tinubu’s long-term vision for Lagos was beginning to take shape in real, tangible ways. “More than two decades ago, as governor, he imagined an economic hub on the Atlantic coast. Today, that dream has become reality — steel, concrete, and opportunity,” he wrote. “A true leader brings people to where they need to be, not just where they want to go. Nigeria is rising, and those of us who believe in her future will continue to support the reforms shaping her path.”

President Tinubu lauds business leaders at Tour

During the tour, President Tinubu referred to Dangote, Otedola, Rabiu, and Jim Ovia as the “four wise men” of Nigeria’s economy, crediting them for their commitment and bold investments. “I landed here with four wise men,” Tinubu said. “Jim Ovia of Zenith Bank, known across the world. Femi Otedola, my baby brother. Samad Rabiu of BUA. And perhaps the wisest, Alhaji Aliko Dangote—so daring in his ideas and belief in Nigeria.”

Clearly moved by the scale and ambition of the refinery, Tinubu described it as “a great phenomenon of our time.” He thanked Dangote for leading such a bold initiative and proving that Nigerians are capable of world-class achievements.

He also pointed to the Lekki Deep Sea Port project — launched during his tenure as Lagos governor — as another example of long-term planning coming to life. “This port is saving businesses significant costs,” he said. “There’s no longer a need for trans-shipment of goods — Nigeria is doing things on her own soil, at her own pace.”