Emir Sanusi fires back at Dangote Refinery critics, says IPO will spread wealth across Nigeria

Nigeria's largest-ever share sale, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, faced significant challenges on its first day as digital investment platforms struggled to handle the surge in demand. The $1.6bn offering, launched by Aliko Dangote, aimed to attract broad public participation through banks, mobile operators, and fintech platforms. However, several platforms, including Bamboo, Cowrywise, and InvestNaija, experienced outages and disruptions, with some even crashing due to the overwhelming traffic.

Yanmo Omorogbe, co-founder and COO of Bamboo, expressed concern over the system breaking under the immense load, claiming users of other platforms also faced difficulties. Despite the challenges, Dangote remains optimistic, expecting around 10 million people to invest in the refinery, touting it as a "people's IPO" with a low minimum investment threshold.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has warned investors to be cautious of potential fraud risks, urging them to verify the legitimacy of platforms and refrain from sharing personal information.