Aliko Dangote Advocates for Local Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Production in Nigeria.
Africa’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to end its reliance on medical tourism and begin large-scale local drug production.
Speaking at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event held in Lagos, Dangote called for strategic partnerships, especially with Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation, to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.“We must stop this health tourism,” Dangote declared during a panel discussion.
“When we fall sick, we should be able to receive quality treatment here at home. That requires a strong healthcare system and local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
”Dangote noted that previous collaborations between the Dangote Foundation and the Gates Foundation successfully helped eradicate polio in Nigeria and made significant progress in improving child nutrition. He expressed optimism that similar partnerships could help reform Nigeria’s healthcare landscape.
Beyond health, Dangote used the platform to highlight Nigeria’s strides in industrial self-sufficiency. Once the world’s second-largest importer of cement, Nigeria now exports more than any other African nation, thanks to investments from Dangote Group.
On agriculture, he pointed to the construction of the world’s second-largest fertilizer plant, built entirely from scratch. “Today, Nigeria exports 37% of our fertilizer output to the United States,” he revealed.Dangote also drew attention to the progress in Nigeria’s energy sector, citing the completion of a 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery—an unprecedented achievement in Africa.
In May 2025 alone, the refinery exported 400,000 metric tons of petrol, effectively eliminating Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel.The Goalkeepers event, hosted in Lagos for the first time, brought together global leaders, policymakers, and changemakers to review progress on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dignitaries in attendance included Bill Gates, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
