Billionaire Dangote launches oil refinery 'people's IPO', Africa's biggest

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote inaugurated Africa's largest share sale on Monday when he launched the initial public offering of his oil refinery. The IPO aims to raise up to $2.1 billion for the refinery's expansion. Dangote, Africa's richest man, has marketed the offer as a people's IPO, providing ordinary Nigerians the chance to participate in the plant's success.

The refinery has benefited from increased demand for its products due to supply disruptions stemming from the Iran war, enabling it to supply jet fuel to western European countries.

Dangote's primary goal for the share sale is to democratize wealth creation. However, retail investors will pay a higher price for shares compared to institutional investors who participated in a July private placement that raised $2.5 billion for a 6% stake. This private placement valued the company at $40 billion, while the IPO brings the valuation closer to $49 billion, according to the company prospectus.

The refinery's CEO, David Bird, explained on Reuters that the private placement's discount was due to certain conditions, such as a lockup period, which institutional investors agreed to. The Africa Finance Corp, one of the institutional investors in the private placement, noted that other investors included sovereign wealth funds and development finance institutions.

If the IPO is fully subscribed on Nigeria's main stock exchange, it would raise 2.15 trillion naira ($1.6 billion), potentially increasing to roughly $2.1 billion if oversubscribed. Retail investors can participate by buying as few as 10 shares on digital investment platforms, representing a minimum investment amount of about $4, which is lower than many other IPOs in Nigeria. Telecoms firm MTN Nigeria's offering to retail investors in 2021 had a minimum investment amount of about $8 at the exchange rate at the time.

Business owner Chris Chijioke, based in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, expressed his intention to buy 2,000 shares despite concerns about the sale price, believing in Dangote's track record. Dangote announced his plan to list every company in his business conglomerate, spanning cement, sugar, and salt, on the stock exchange. Additionally, he hinted at a potential secondary listing of the oil refinery business in the US within three to four years.