₦airaland Forum

The youngest female lawmaker in Nigeria, Hon. Rukayat Shittu, has invited Africa's leading industrialist, Aliko Dangote, to consider Kwara State as a location for a future refinery or major energy investment, following a legal dispute surrounding the proposed Dangote refinery project in Lamu, Kenya.

Rukayat, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, made the invitation in a personal appeal online to the billionaire industrialist, urging him to take a fresh look at Ilorin's strategic location, expanding infrastructure and emerging investment opportunities.

Her intervention comes after a Kenyan court ordered parties to maintain the status quo concerning disputed land earmarked for Dangote's proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, pending further proceedings.

The court action followed a petition by residents challenging aspects of the land acquisition and development process.

Against this backdrop, Rukayat said Nigeria should be ready to present alternative opportunities to Nigerian investors looking to undertake major industrial projects.

According to Rukayat, Ilorin offers a combination of strategic geography, expanding infrastructure, access to major markets and emerging industrial opportunities that could make it an attractive location for a future Dangote investment.

“Ilorin sits strategically between Nigeria's North and South, with access to major markets and an emerging network of roads, energy infrastructure, agro-industrial development, logistics and new urban infrastructure,” she said.

She argued that the opportunity should be viewed beyond the construction of a refinery.
A major energy project, she said, could become the anchor for a wider industrial ecosystem involving petrochemicals, manufacturing, storage, logistics, engineering, transportation and other energy-intensive businesses.

“When one door becomes legally uncertain, Nigeria should be ready to show you another door. Ilorin is that door,” she said.

Rukayat pointed to ongoing and emerging developments in roads, urban development, agro-industrial infrastructure, energy and logistics as complementary investments that could support the emergence of a broader industrial corridor around Ilorin.

“A refinery does not exist in isolation,” she said.

“It needs roads, power, water, logistics, storage, engineering, skilled workers, suppliers and markets.”

According to her, the convergence of these developments with Ilorin's strategic location provides an opportunity for Kwara to position itself as an industrial and logistics gateway between Nigeria's northern and southern markets.

She also stressed that any eventual investment would have to comply with Nigerian land laws, environmental requirements, regulatory approvals and proper engagement with affected communities.

Her immediate objective, she said, was to get Dangote to examine the opportunity.

“Come and see the land. Come and see the location. Come and see what is changing.”
“Come to Ilorin, Alhaji Dangote. Let's talk.”

Rukayat said Kwara should seek to transform its geographical advantage into an economic advantage by attracting major industrial investments and developing the ecosystem required to support them.

She said the proposed refinery conversation should also be viewed within the broader question of how Nigeria can expand industrial capacity beyond established economic centres.

For Rukayat, the objective is not simply to attract a refinery, but to create an industrial ecosystem capable of generating jobs, businesses, technical skills, logistics opportunities and new economic activity.

“Kwara should not merely consume industrial wealth. Kwara should be ready to host it.”

2special:
This one is too dumb, mumu think refinery can be set up anywhere.

chigator2:
Lol, you think sey Petroleum refinery is pure water factory. A single large scale operation can erase the need for another within a wide geographical radius.

Codes151:
You get oil? Clown.

The gold and resources you have you are pocketing. And now you want southern oil refined in dirty Kwara.

Get out

Jakpon:
she is not dumb. As a lawmaker representing a constituency, it is part of her responsibility to attract investment to her constituency, to the benefit of her people

2special:
This one is too dumb, mumu think refinery can be set up anywhere.

ednut1:
she is dumb. Kwara has no crude nor access to sea

Jakpon:
There is no Oil in Kenya, yet Dangote decided to set up the largest Refinery in East Africa in that country. You will be shocked when her State get a major oil investment while you lot keep criticizing.

Karlovich:
The Cartel boss is getting evicted in 2027

This I have seen!

erad:
It can actually be set up anywhere.

Jakpon:
There is no Oil in Kenya, yet Dangote decided to set up the largest Refinery in East Africa in that country. You will be shocked when her State get a major oil investment while you lot keep criticizing.

Jakpon:
she is not dumb. As a lawmaker representing a constituency, it is part of her responsibility to attract investment to her constituency, for the benefit of her people.
Now tell us, apart from palm oil & salt your lawmakers donate to your people in the name of constituency projects, what major investment has he/she successfully lobbied for

Jakpon:
Keep you criticism inside your pocket.
If Dangote or any other investor decide to situate a big production facility somewhere in her State tomorrow, you all will come back later and start blaming the FG for marginalizing your people.
Instead of you to hold your own lawmakers accountable, you are busy criticizing those who are working for the economic development of their constituency

Jakpon:
There is no Oil in Kenya, yet Dangote decided to set up the largest Refinery in East Africa in that country. You will be shocked when her State get a major oil investment while you lot keep criticizing.

experts:
WHY ILORIN IS COMPETITIVE FOR A SECOND DANGOTE REFINERY IN NIGERIA - Rukayat Shittu

Following my invitation to Alhaji Aliko Dangote to consider Ilorin for a future refinery, many have asked a legitimate question.

Can an inland city like Ilorin compete with Lagos when it comes to crude supply, logistics and access to international markets?

My answer is simple, yes, potentially, but not by trying to make Ilorin another Lagos, but by serving a purpose Lagos may struggle with.

Ilorin's advantage is precisely that it can serve a different purpose.

Lagos has the coastline, deep water access and proximity to international shipping. It is therefore naturally positioned to remain a major refining and export hub for Europe, Asia, the Americas and the wider Atlantic market.

Ilorin can complement that position by becoming an inland energy and refining hub focused on Nigeria and the African continental market.

An Ilorin refinery does not need a coastline to receive crude.

It can be supplied through a combination of dedicated crude pipelines from producing regions; expanded national petroleum infrastructure; strategic crude storage;
pipeline connections to multiple supply corridors and, where commercially viable, rail as a supplementary logistics option.

Nigeria produces crude in the Niger Delta, while emerging inland production prospects provide opportunities for future diversification of feedstock sources.

A refinery should be located not only close to crude, but also close to its customers.

And this is where Ilorin becomes a sound pitch.

Ilorin sits at a strategic junction between the South and the North.

A refinery here could potentially serve Nort Central Nigeria, the North, and neighbouring African markets, while retaining access to the South West.

Instead of transporting huge volumes of refined products from the coast deep into the interior, Nigeria could bring refining capacity closer to the consumers.

That means potential savings in transportation,storage, road congestion, product evacuation, distribution time and logistics risk.

The bigger opportunity is an Ilorin Energy and Industrial Corridor.

A major refinery could anchor petrochemicals, gas processing, fertiliser, power generation, industrial manufacturing
storage, engineering services, logistics, aviation fuel, lubricants and other energy intensive industries.

Ilorin could become an inland energy gateway connecting Nigeria's major markets with the wider African market.

Lagos can remain Nigeria's major coastal refining and global export hub.
Ilorin can develop as an inland refining, distribution and African market hub.

One faces the ocean.
The other faces the continent.
That is not duplication.
That is diversification.

And diversification is how serious economies reduce systemic risk and logistics costs.

My invitation was addressed to Alhaji Aliko Dangote because he has demonstrated what Nigerian private capital can achieve at world scale.

But the proposition is much bigger than one investor.

Other Nigerian industrialists, indigenous petroleum companies, international investors, infrastructure funds and Private consortia can step in.

Kwara is pen to all serious investors willing to build productive energy infrastructure.

Let them come. Let the engineers study it. Let the economists model it. Let the investors test the numbers.
If the numbers work, Ilorin is ready.

Kwara has the land.
Kwara has the location.
Kwara has access to major markets.
Kwara has an emerging infrastructure ecosystem.
And, most importantly, Kwara has the ambition to turn its strategic geography into industrial wealth.

So my invitation remains.

Alhaji Dangote, come and look at Ilorin.
Not because Ilorin has no challenges.
But because every great industrial project begins by solving challenges that are worth solving.

Ilorin may not be Nigeria's next Lekki.
It could become something different, Nigeria's inland energy gateway to Africa.

Hon. Rukayat Shittu

experts:
Rukayat Shittu Invites Dangote to Establish Refinery in Kwara Amid Legal Hurdle in Kenya



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