Fatimah Otunsanya
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has projected a significant strengthening of the naira, suggesting the currency could reach N1,100 to a dollar this year.
Channels TV reports that Dangote made the remarks on Tuesday during the launch of the Nigeria Industrial Policy in Abuja, an event attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other dignitaries.
While the naira currently trades around N1,300 to a dollar, Dangote said government reforms are beginning to show results.
“I believe with the policies that you have implemented in government, people now have started seeing the result, and manufacturers are very, very happy,” he said.
He added, “Today, the dollar is N1,340. Mr Vice-President, I can assure you that, with what I know, by blocking all this importation, the currency this year will be as low as N1,100 if we are lucky.
“The only thing is for, maybe, the government to stop the naira from getting stronger so that they will keep collecting more naira.
“But it’s a catch-22 situation where, now, if the naira gets stronger, it means that everything will go down. Everything will go down because we are an import-based country, which we shouldn’t be. What we should be doing is manufacturing all the things that we need.”
Dangote also called for stronger protection for local investors through incentives and infrastructure, highlighting power supply as a persistent challenge.
Earlier, Femi Otedola had predicted that the naira could trade below N1,000 to the US dollar before the end of 2026, following the Dangote Petroleum Refinery reaching its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
Otedola described the refinery’s output as “transformational for Nigeria and Africa” and said its ability to supply up to 75 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit daily would shift the country’s energy narrative and conserve foreign exchange.
“I am optimistic that the naira will strengthen meaningfully, and trading below ₦1,000/$1 before year-end is increasingly within reach,” Otedola had said.