NAE inducts Dangote 6th honourary fellow, as stakeholders push investment in engineering

By Ebunoluwa Sessou

The Nigerian Academy of Engineering on Friday inducted Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, as an Honorary Fellow for advancung engineering and industrialisation in Nigeria and Africa.
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The academy said the honour was in recognition of Dangote’s commitment and contributions to large-scale engineering, infrastructure and manufacturing which had significantly impacted the nation’s economic development.

Speaking at the well-attended induction, the NAE President, Prof. Rahamon Bello, said the induction of Africa’s foremost industrialist as an Honorary Fellow reflected his immense contributions to Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth.

Bello said that the honour was the Academy’s highest recognition reserved for individuals with outstanding impact on engineering practice and development.

He described the Academy as an apex body committed to advancing excellence in science, engineering, technology and innovation for national development.

The NAE president said the academy, founded in 1997, serves as a think-tank providing policy advice to government and private organisations, especially on technological matters.

“It is a Think-tank founded in 1997, comprising eminent Nigerian and foreign engineering professionals who provide leadership on national engineering and technological matters.

“The Academy also offers a national platform for experts to pool their experience and insights, to proffer advice to the Federal Government of Nigeria and private organisations on policy-making, particularly on technology matters.

“NAE has limited membership and Fellows are peer-elected based on their outstanding contributions to research, and the practice of engineering in academia as well as in both public and private sectors.”

Bello added that the Academy runs programmes such as innovation competitions and fellowship grants to support young academics and promote engineering excellence.

Bello said: “In the 29-year history of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, only five Honorary Fellows have been inducted. Today’s event will produce our sixth Honorary Fellow.

“Therefore, this recognition is not merely ceremonial; it is a worthy celebration of vision, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to advancing the frontiers of industrialisation.

“Through strategic foresight and bold investments anchored by the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has championed large-scale industrialisation in Nigeria and across Africa.”

He highlighted Dangote’s investments in key sectors, including cement manufacturing, sugar refining, salt processing, vehicle assembly and petroleum refining.

According to him, the establishment of the Dangote Refinery stands as a landmark achievement, describing it as Africa’s largest oil refinery and a symbol of engineering excellence.

“The refinery is more than a feat of capital investment — it is a testament to engineering excellence, innovation, and the belief that Africans can design, build, and sustain world-class infrastructure.

“These contributions align closely with the very essence of engineering and reflect the principles that the Academy upholds: the application of science and engineering to solve real-world problems and to drive sustainable development.

“They have significantly reduced Nigeria’s dependence on imports, strengthened local capacity, and created thousands of jobs.”

Bello said the Academy’s council found Dangote eminently qualified for the honorary fellowship in line with its by-laws.

He added that Dangote’s achievements had continued to inspire a new generation of engineers and entrepreneurs across Africa.

“As we induct him as the Academy’s sixth Honorary Fellow today, we acknowledge his immense contributions and formally welcome him into our community of thought leaders and nation builders.

“On behalf of the Council and Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, it is my great honour to welcome you and congratulate you on this well-deserved recognition.

“We look forward to your continued engagement with the Academy as we collectively work towards advancing engineering solutions for Nigeria’s development,” he said.

Speaking, Dr Mutiu Sunmonu, the Guest Speaker and Chairman, the Sage Centre for Leadership Excellence, spoke on how timeless principles of resilience, ethical leadership and navigating complexity served as the ultimate blueprint for modern industrialists.

Sunmonu, who applauded Dangote’s unyielding grip on vision and resilience in the face of complexities, said he had shown “us that true value is created through a steadfast, resilience and commitment.”

He said: “This. kind of resilience is exactly what we need as we look at the immense challenges facing emerging economies today. We are at a juncture where energy infrastructure, investment flows and industrial policies must align perfectly.

“In Sub-Sahara Africa we are constantly navigating a delicate tripod–balancing the dare financial constraints from energy deficit against our massive industrial ambition.

“We cannot industrial in the dark and we cannot build the infrastructure we need without strategic capital. We cannot afford to be passive observe as the global energy map is been redrawn.”

Stressed the role of multinational institutions, foreign direct investments and robust public -private partnership, Sunmonu advocated policies that scale up energy system and industrial capacity.

He said that Dangote Petroleum Refinery was not just a facility but Africa’s boldest answer to the demand for energy resilience.

Special Guest of Honour, Prof. Benedict Oramah commended Dangote’s contributions, noting that his investments continue to shape Nigeria’s industrial landscape and create employment opportunities.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Special Adviser on Works, Dr Adekunle Olayinka, lauded Dangote’s commitment, saying it demonstrated that African innovation can compete globally

The Group Managing Director of ARCO Group PLC, Alfred Okoigun, said engineering must remain central to Nigeria’s development agenda.
Okoigun said Dangote’s recognition underscored the need for deliberate investment in engineering capacity, adding that countries such as China had shown what was possible when ambition aligned with technical expertise.
He said engineering must be at the heart of policy, education and industrial growth, while strengthening institutions like the academy was key to building a globally competitive engineering ecosystem.

Dangote, in his acceptance remarks, described engineering as a critical driver of national development and global competitiveness, stressing that no nation could industrialise without the ingenuity of engineers.

“Engineering is more than a profession; it is the language of progress.

“Every bridge that connects communities, every megawatt that lights homes and every drop of fuel that powers our economy begins as an engineering idea,” he said.

He noted that his business journey across Africa had reinforced his belief that engineers were central to economic transformation, describing them as “the silent architects of national development.”

Dangote said his group was actively shaping industrialisation across Nigeria and Africa through large-scale investments in construction, operations and maintenance of major industrial facilities.

According to him, the company’s vision is to make Nigeria and Africa self-sufficient in goods previously imported and to demonstrate that such ambition is achievable at scale.

He said the group had become one of the largest employers of engineering and technology graduates in Nigeria, with engineers constituting over 15 per cent of its workforce across its petroleum, refining, petrochemical and fertiliser businesses.

Dangote said the company established its training institute to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and industrial practice, adding that hundreds of engineers had also received international training in Europe, America and Asia.

He noted that many Nigerian-trained engineers were now operating complex industrial facilities and were globally competitive.

“A nation’s true strength lies in the quality of its education, the robustness of its scientific system and the ability of its engineers to design world-class technologies,” he said.

Dangote cited China’s large engineering education system and output as evidence of deliberate national planning and ambition.

He also urged engineers to take active roles in shaping the application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in their profession.

The industrialist dedicated the honour to Nigerian engineers, technicians and students, expressing confidence in their ability to overcome the country’s development challenges.

He pledged to support mentorship, research and innovation, as well as capacity building through expanded graduate engineering programmes and partnerships with the academy.

He commended the academy for its role as a national think tank and pledged continued collaboration to advance engineering practice in the country.