During the launch of BBC Africa Enterprise, billionaire Aliko Dangote warned African governments that the continent’s rapidly growing young population could become a lost opportunity without swift job‑creating industrial investment.

Dangote said leaders have spent too long debating potential and need to translate that into productive activity, emphasizing that external actors will not deliver the solutions Africa requires.

He highlighted the 700,000‑barrel‑per‑day Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, as a model of the scale of investment needed, noting its design to serve a regional market that could extend to Egypt.

The refinery, unveiled by President William Ruto, is projected to create 60,000 jobs and generate 1,000 MW of electricity, providing fuel security and anchoring Kenya’s industrial growth.

Beyond energy, Dangote called for similar ambition in fertilizer manufacturing and other productive sectors, urging full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area to enlarge markets for African‑owned businesses.

He stressed that the urgency of job creation cannot be deferred, as Africa’s youth are already seeking livelihoods and the responsibility rests with African leaders themselves.