South-South Commission, Dangote Seal Strategic Partnership on Regional Expansion, Youth Empowerment

The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has strengthened its push for accelerated regional development after a high-level engagement with the Dangote Group culminated in major commitments on investment, energy expansion and youth training.

The two-day working visit, led by SSDC Managing Director Ms. Usoro Akpabio, featured an extensive tour of the multibillion-dollar Dangote Refinery complex in Lagos over the weekend.

Welcoming the delegation, President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, pledged deeper involvement in the South-South region, announcing that plans were already underway to establish a stronger operational presence across the six states.

Dangote also said the Group would scale up training opportunities for young people from the region, equipping them with globally competitive technical skills that could secure high-value employment both locally and overseas. He noted that such skills export would contribute significantly to national development through increased remittances and workforce capacity.

On regional industrial growth, Dangote revealed that the expansion drive would prioritise improved access to fertilizer, strengthened agricultural productivity and a fortified Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) value chain in line with Nigeria’s clean-energy transition. He disclosed plans to roll out CNG cogeneration stations across the South-South, a move expected to boost energy access and stimulate local industries.

The business mogul further outlined an agriculture-focused partnership with the SSDC, targeting soil-specific fertilizers to help farmers improve crop quality for domestic use and export. The initiative, to be powered by Dangote’s advanced petrochemical and fertilizer laboratory, is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026.

Dangote also commended engineers from the South-South region trained under the Presidential Amnesty Programme, describing them as highly skilled and revealing that many had previously been engaged in his projects. He said their expertise would again be deployed in upcoming regional expansion works.

Responding, SSDC Managing Director Ms. Usoro Akpabio affirmed the Commission’s readiness to provide strong policy support and an enabling environment, noting that the South-South remains Nigeria’s energy hub, maritime backbone and industrial corridor.

She emphasized that the partnership would focus on deepening collaboration in refined product depots, coastal logistics bases, agriculture value chains, and youth-driven technical training through the Dangote Academy.

Akpabio described the engagement as a crucial step toward unlocking the region’s economic potential, adding that the Commission is determined to build sustainable development pathways through strategic private-sector alliances.

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