Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused French cement company Lafarge of deliberately putting obstacles in Aliko Dangote’s path when the Nigerian billionaire entered the cement industry across Africa. Obasanjo made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Dangote’s $16 billion oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya. “One group that really didn’t […]

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused French cement company Lafarge of deliberately putting obstacles in Aliko Dangote’s path when the Nigerian billionaire entered the cement industry across Africa. 

Obasanjo made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Dangote’s $16 billion oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya.

“One group that really didn’t want Aliko to succeed in cement production is a French company called Lafarge. They put every obstacle in Aliko’s way,” Obasanjo said.

He pointed to Dangote’s experience in Senegal, where the businessman completed a five-million-tonne cement plant but could not operate it for two years. According to Obasanjo, Lafarge-backed interests challenged the land ownership in court. Dangote eventually won but still had to pay $12 million before production could begin.

“Lafarge wanted to get Aliko not to produce cement in Africa. They wanted to monopolise. Lafarge is now out of Africa. Aliko dominates cement production in Africa,” the former president added.

The comments came as Dangote, Kenya’s President William Ruto, Obasanjo, and several other African leaders formally launched construction of the East Africa Petroleum Refinery. The plant is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is expected to be completed in about 40 months.

Dangote described the project as a major step toward African energy self-sufficiency, saying the continent can no longer keep exporting raw materials and importing finished products.The ceremony was also attended by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the presidents of Togo and Benin.

The ceremony was also attended by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the presidents of Togo and Benin.