…world challenge administration leaders say refinery a Catalyst for Project Management Evolution
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has earned a excessive commendation from the Global Board members of the Project Management Institute (PMI), which described the ability as a world-class mannequin of excellence in challenge execution and memorable demonstration of world challenge administration requirements.
The PMI’s Board members led by the Chief of Staff to the worldwide Chief Executive Officer, Lenka Pincot on a go to to Nigeria had been hosted by the chief members of the Dangote Group in-house Community of Practice for Project Management which led them on tour of the world largest single practice refinery, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Plant, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
The worldwide delegation which was overwhelmed by the size and class of the Refinery complicated had been stuffed with praises for the administration for the refinery challenge’s scale, precision, and alignment with worldwide benchmarks in challenge supply.”
Lenka Pincot, who stood in for the PMI Global CEO in her comment expressed the Institute’s admiration of the refinery’s execution and its transformative influence on the individuals, Nigeria and world power panorama describing it as a dwelling embodiment of PMI’s objective.
She spoke whereas being obtained by the Vice-President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Mr. Devakumar Edwi, in his workplace after the tour of the Refinery Complex.
Pincot stated: “At PMI, we have a clear purpose, we maximise project success to elevate our world. This Guinness World Record project is a beautiful example of that purpose in action,” she stated.
“Everything we’ve seen here is awe-inspiring. Beyond the structures and systems, we also see the broader impact you’re creating for your country, your economy, your people, and the environment. You’ve essentially built an entire ecosystem.”
She added that PMI regarded ahead to strengthening collaboration with Dangote Industries, notably in sharing studying experiences and challenge insights with PMI’s world group. “We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Dangote Industries. “There is so much the global project management community can learn from this achievement, from the scale of ambition to the discipline of execution. By sharing these insights and lessons, we can inspire and equip professionals around the world to deliver projects that truly elevate societies.”
During his presentation on the making of the Refinery, the DIL Vice President, Oil and Gas, Mr. Devakumar, attributed the success of the refinery and different main initiatives underneath the Dangote Group to the corporate’s sturdy basis in structured challenge administration and meticulous planning, noting “The Dangote Group is particularly known for its disciplined project management approach and robust structuring,” Edwin stated.
He said additional “This is reflected in the detailed groundwork we put in place long before executing any project, as seen in our other businesses, cement, sugar, salt and fertiliser. From inception, the refinery project has been guided by a well-defined framework of planning, risk management, and execution discipline that aligns with global project standards. This consistency across our businesses has been key to delivering large-scale, world-class projects that make a tangible impact on Nigeria’s economy and Africa’s industrial growth.”
Nglan Niat, Group Chief Human Resource Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, additionally spoke on the corporate’s deliberate investments in creating inside challenge administration capabilities and fostering a tradition of excellence throughout its operations.
She defined; “We embarked on a strategic partnership with PMI and procured 300 PMI licenses to ensure a strong and sustainable pipeline of certified professionals,” she defined. “Last year, we launched the Project Management Development Program, designed to build internal capacity and embed a culture of disciplined execution, accountability, and efficiency in how we deliver projects across the Group.”
“Each participant was carefully selected based on their role, relevance, and contribution to strategic projects. Our first cohort kicked off in October 2024, and I’m proud to report that several of them have earned their PMI certifications. The second cohort commenced in July 2025 with a significant number of our staff members onboarded and certified.”
“In partnership with our PMO office, we also established the Project Management Community of Practice, which meets monthly to discuss project challenges, share best practices, and deepen understanding. Looking ahead, we plan to expand subsequent cohorts to fully utilise the 300 licenses and make project management excellence a core organisational strength, one that drives innovation, value creation, and consistent project delivery across the Group.”
Also talking, George Asamani, PMI Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted the broader significance of the refinery inside the African context and PMI’s ongoing partnership with Dangote Industries.
“Being here today and experiencing this is phenomenal. Partnering with Dangote to witness and support this achievement will be a great opportunity. Beyond that, we’re also looking at what’s next, especially in areas like Artificial Intelligence, sustainability, and construction management.”
He added that PMI has invested considerably in AI instruments and certifications tailor-made for challenge professionals, noting that the PMI Infinity platform and the brand new PMI-CP (Construction Professional) certification may additional strengthen collaboration with Dangote’s Community of Practice.
The Head of Community for Sub-Saharan Africa at PMI, Adeola Akande, hailed the refinery as an emblem of visionary management, excellence in execution, and Nigeria’s rising challenge administration functionality. She additionally recommended the Dangote Group for its constant help towards advancing challenge administration requirements throughout Africa.
“The Dangote Refinery represents the best of Nigeria’s capacity to deliver world-class infrastructure and demonstrates how effective project management can transform not just organizations but the entire economies.”, she famous.
In his compelling presentation titled “Community of Practice: The Journey So Far at Dangote Industries Limited”, Shehu Adekanye, an government member of Dangote Group Community of Practice (CoP) and Group Head of Procurement, DIL shared the transformative strides the group has made in embedding challenge administration as a strategic functionality throughout the group.
He stated on recognizing the necessity for a structured response, the Dangote Community of Practice was formally launched in June 2025 with a transparent mission: to evolve challenge administration from a person skillset into an organizational asset.
The formation of the CoP, in accordance with him, underscored Dangote Industries’ dedication to excellence, innovation, and management in challenge administration — positioning the corporate not simply as a enterprise powerhouse, however as a mannequin for organizational transformation.
Adekanye mirrored on the early challenges that prompted the formation of the CoP, a few of which he listed to incorporate an absence of standardized templates and processes, fragmented information sharing, restricted networking amongst challenge professionals, and missed alternatives to undertake world finest practices and rising applied sciences reminiscent of Artificial Intelligence.
He expressed happiness that the outcomes thus far have been spectacular noting that membership grew from simply seven in March to 32 by September 2025, with 67 workers members enrolled in PMP coaching throughout varied features and embedded world finest practices tailor-made to Dangote’s operational wants. “We’ve created a platform for continuous learning and innovation. Our work is already influencing how projects are conceived, executed, and evaluated across the business.”, Adekanye famous
In closing his presentation, Adekanye made a passionate enchantment to the management of the Project Management Institute (PMI), looking for formal accreditation for the Dangote CoP to award Professional Development Units (PDUs) for its actions. He additionally referred to as for larger inclusion in PMI occasions throughout Nigeria and Africa and requested entry to specialised coaching and webinars to additional empower the group. “We believe that with PMI’s support, we can scale up our impact and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of project management across Africa,” he stated.
The go to of the PMI prime brass underscores the refinery’s significance not solely as an industrial milestone but in addition as a worldwide case examine in profitable challenge administration, innovation, and influence.
