Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, on Wednesday received Femi Otedola and top executives of First HoldCo Plc at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, in a visit seen as strengthening ties between Nigeria’s industrial and financial sectors.

The high-level meeting, held at the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery, brought together key figures in banking, energy and manufacturing, underscoring growing collaboration aimed at boosting economic growth and investment in the country.

In a statement, the Dangote Group described the visit as more than a routine tour, noting that it reflects a shared commitment among leading private sector players to drive industrialisation, enhance energy security and deepen local production capacity across Africa.

Photos released from the refinery complex showed Dangote personally leading the delegation on a tour of the facility, which recently reached its full refining capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

The development is widely expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products and ease pressure on foreign exchange.

Otedola, who also chairs Geregu Power Plc, has previously commended the refinery project, describing it as a “game changer” for Nigeria’s economy.

He noted that increased domestic refining could help stabilise the naira and improve the country’s balance of trade.

Industry analysts say the visit signals increasing synergy between major investors in Nigeria’s financial and energy sectors, particularly as the refinery scales up operations and explores expansion opportunities, including a potential public listing.

The Dangote Refinery, commissioned in 2023, is the largest single-train refinery in Africa and is expected to play a pivotal role in transforming Nigeria into a net exporter of refined petroleum products.