The De Renaissance Patriots Foundation has called for indigenous communities in Lagos State to enjoy lasting economic benefits from major industrial investments, including the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Summit Oil’s exploration activities in Badagry and other large-scale developments across the state.
The socio-cultural organisation said the presence of such investments should translate into sustainable employment, improved infrastructure, quality education, healthcare and other long-term economic opportunities for host communities rather than leaving indigenous residents to contend with unemployment, inadequate social services and economic hardship.
In an open letter dated Thursday, August 6, 2026, jointly signed by its President, Mr. Miftah Bolaji Are, and Secretary-General, Mr. Yomi Tokosi, the foundation argued that industrialisation should create enduring prosperity for the indigenous people whose ancestral lands host these projects.
The letter, titled “Dangote Refinery, Oil Exploration in Badagry, Urban and Industrial Development, Lagos State Government and House of Assembly: The Burden of Corporate Social Responsibility to the Indigenous Communities of Lagos,” acknowledged the significant economic contributions of the Dangote Refinery, Summit Oil’s oil exploration activities and other industrial developments to Lagos State and Nigeria.
It described the projects as landmark investments that have boosted industrialisation, job creation, energy security and national economic growth.
“The establishment and continued expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, oil exploration by Summit Oil in Badagry and the rapid urban and industrial development of Lagos State are significant developments in the economic history of Lagos State, Nigeria and the African continent,” the foundation stated.
While welcoming the investments, the group warned that they could also generate long-term socioeconomic and cultural challenges for indigenous communities if adequate measures are not taken to manage their impacts.
According to the foundation, many indigenous communities across Lagos’ five traditional divisions—Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos and Epe—are increasingly facing developmental pressures and risk becoming surrounded by expanding urban slums if proactive interventions are not implemented.
“There are already simmering signs of unease and apprehension within these indigenous communities that must be proactively addressed,” the statement said, urging the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State House of Assembly, Dangote Refinery, Summit Oil and the organised private sector to work together without bureaucratic delays or partisan politics.
The foundation commended the investments of businessman Aliko Dangote, Summit Oil and other private sector investors, describing them as major drivers of industrial growth and national development.
However, it maintained that host communities deserve a permanent economic stake in projects located on their ancestral lands.
“An important question must be answered: What is the permanent economic place of the indigenous communities of Lagos in this historic development?” the group asked.
To address the concern, the organisation proposed the establishment of a professionally managed Indigenous Lagos Host Communities Development and Investment Trust.
According to the foundation, the trust would finance education, healthcare, vocational training, youth empowerment, maritime development, environmental protection and other sustainable community development initiatives.
“We are not asking the Dangote Group to surrender its investment. We are asking for partnership, participation and shared prosperity,” the statement added.
The foundation argued that while industrialisation inevitably changes host communities and traditional livelihoods, indigenous residents should not remain spectators as wealth is created from their ancestral lands without meaningful long-term participation.
It also cited Chapter Three of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which established Host Communities Development Trusts for petroleum-producing areas, saying the principle behind the legislation should be extended to major downstream projects such as the Dangote Refinery.
According to the foundation, communities that bear the environmental, social and economic consequences of industrial activities deserve more than temporary employment opportunities or periodic corporate social responsibility programmes.
It maintained that creating a structured framework for permanent economic participation would promote shared prosperity, strengthen relations between investors and host communities, and support sustainable development across Lagos State.
