₦airaland Forum

Businessman and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has credited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, with making the construction of his multi-billion-dollar refinery possible by intervening to remove 19 shrines from the project site.

Speaking in a video shared by The Cable via X on Friday, the billionaire industrialist revealed that construction workers were unable to proceed with the project in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, due to the presence of numerous shrines.

Dangote said, “I must recognise and thank the Ooni of Ife for enabling the building of our factory. What happened was that when we got there, there were over 19 shrines at the site. Nobody was able to go near there to do anything.”

The business mogul explained that the traditional ruler personally visited the site and boldly ordered the removal of all the shrines, despite the spiritual implications.

“But Ooni went there, stood there and said ‘remove all of them. Let the gods come and talk to me’. Your Royal Majesty, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart because without that singular act of yours, I don’t think we would have been able to build the refinery,” Dangote stated.

PUNCH Online reports that the Dangote Refinery, located in the Dangote Industries Free Zone in Ibeju-Lekki, is the world’s largest single-train refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

The industrialist had earlier disclosed that he paid $100 million to the Lagos State Government for the massive land, but construction faced significant delays due to community issues surrounding the shrines.

The refinery, which began operations in 2024, is expected to transform Nigeria’s petroleum sector by ending decades of fuel importation and creating thousands of jobs for Nigerians.

Watch Video Here:

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐨𝐧𝐢’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 — 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐞

Businessman and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has credited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, with making the… pic.twitter.com/tlsKAZ0bom

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) December 12, 2025

/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1999559620684317135&currentTweetUser=MobilePunch

khalling2008:
If he couldn't remove the shrine, China or Indian would have done the job. Don't hype the man even those agberos in Lagos can remove the shrine if they are informed and given money

khalling2008:
If he couldn't remove the shrine, China or Indian would have done the job. Don't hype the man even those agberos in Lagos can remove the shrine if they are informed and given money

khalling2008:
If he couldn't remove the shrine, China or Indian would have done the job. Don't hype the man even those agberos in Lagos can remove the shrine if they are informed and given money

khalling2008:
If he couldn't remove the shrine, China or Indian would have done the job. Don't hype the man even those agberos in Lagos can remove the shrine if they are informed and given money

rayblast:
Sir u forgot to telll us how much u paid OONi

WorldRichest:
Ooni is a god, he can talk to his fellow gods. Under rate him at your own peril. Ask Oba Tupac Akiolu of Lagos what happened to him when he underestimated Ooni, this is why I am sorry for that kindergarten clown called Aladdin of Oyo who had been underestimating the Ooni, I hope he will be able to beat the shame that the god (Ooni) will put him (Aladdin) to.

FreeStuffsNG:
“But Ooni went there, stood there and said ‘remove all of them. Let the gods come and talk to me’. Your Royal Majesty, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart because without that singular act of yours, I don’t think we would have been able to build the refinery,” Dangote stated.

Even Alhaji Aliko Dangote knew how to give unto Caesars what is Caesar's.
Ooni didn't ordinarily go and "stood there and said" like every person will do o.

There were loads of spiritual preparations, fortification and consultations to enable him exercise his authority as a god and Chief Priest in the Yoruba religion to give that aṣe. It is believed that only he has such authority over all the shrines in Yorubaland.

I am sure they did more than "remove" the shrines to help him so that that land bless his endeavor. Alhaji Dangote loves the land and the Yoruba and he respect his Yoruba hosts. That's why Yorubaland in turn blessed him phenomenally.

Whoever directed him to Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba, and to personally request the Ooni , really adviced him very well. That's the value of having wise people around you.

If Alhaji Aliko Dangote didn’t disclose this, many people will not even know

I can't wait to read the memoirs of Alhaji Aliko Dangote on his complex challenges in building that monumental industrial complex.

I am very proud of him. Thank you Oonirisa for helping Alhaji Aliko Dangote recieve the blessings from that land.

May God continue to bless Nigeria.

khalling2008:
If he couldn't remove the shrine, China or Indian would have done the job. Don't hype the man even those agberos in Lagos can remove the shrine if they are informed and given money

WorldRichest:
Ooni is a god, he can talk to his fellow gods. Under rate him at your own peril. Ask Oba Tupac Akiolu of Lagos what happened to him when he underestimated Ooni, this is why I am sorry for that kindergarten clown called Aladdin of Oyo who had been underestimating the Ooni, I hope he will be able to beat the shame that the god (Ooni) will put him (Aladdin) to.

khalling2008:
If he couldn't remove the shrine, China or Indian would have done the job. Don't hype the man even those agberos in Lagos can remove the shrine if they are informed and given money

Caseless:
A true royal father. That man has exceeded all expectations in terms of uniting Nigerians. Look at what he did with the refinery here, but Amosun as a governor, forced the project out of his own state, thereby denying Ogun the opportunity of getting revenue from the siting of such project.

chimex38:
"thereby denying Ogun the opportunity of getting revenue from the siting of such project"

Not Ogun but Ondo.