Sparking Leadership: Conversations at Dangote Fertiliser
May 29, 2026
Case Study
Sparking Leadership
Conversations at Dangote Fertiliser
Client Overview
Africa's Largest Fertiliser Producers, Investing in Its People
Dangote Fertiliser Limited operates a world-scale urea fertiliser plant at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, employing a large and diverse workforce of engineers, operations personnel, and management professionals. High standards of leadership, accountability, and operational excellence are expected across the board.
As part of its ongoing commitment to developing supervisory and management talent, the HR function engaged BFT Consulting Services to facilitate an immersive leadership development session for a cohort of Supervisors and Managers.
The Challenge
Diverse Backgrounds. One Cohort. One Authentic Conversation.
The management cohort comprised individuals from varied professional backgrounds, experience levels, and functional disciplines. The organisation sought a facilitated experience that would:
- Bring diverse leaders into open, candid conversations about what it means to lead.
- Surface shared leadership values and identify gaps in current leadership practices.
- Create a psychologically safe environment for honest reflection on leadership styles and behaviours, without the pressure of formal assessment.
- Energise and re-engage the group with a fresh, experience-based approach to leadership development.
The challenge was to deliver a session that was simultaneously engaging, substantive, and practically relevant to the realities of managing people within a large manufacturing environment.
"The John Maxwell Leadership Game created a room full of honest conversations. Participants who rarely spoke in formal settings found their voice."
The Solution
The John Maxwell Leadership Game as Facilitation Vehicle
BFT Consulting Services designed and facilitated a full-day John Maxwell Leadership Game session for the Dangote Fertiliser management cohort. This structured, card-based tool uses carefully crafted questions to prompt open dialogue on leadership principles, personal values, team dynamics, and organisational culture.
The session was designed as a peer-to-peer learning environment where every voice carried equal weight, regardless of hierarchy or seniority. By using the game as the facilitation vehicle, BFT was able to guide participants through meaningful leadership conversations without the format feeling like a conventional training exercise.
Implementation
Four Progressive Rounds, One Transformative Day
The session was held at Dangote Fertiliser's premises in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, with Supervisors and Managers drawn from across all functional departments. Suleiman Shaibu, Chief Consultant at BFT Consulting Services and a certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach, led the facilitation.
Round 01
Icebreaker and ground-setting
Participants were introduced to the game format and established group agreements for open dialogue.
Round 02
Exploring leadership identity
Card draws prompted conversations on personal values, defining moments, and leadership role models.
Round 03
Team and organisational dynamics
Discussions covered communication patterns, giving and receiving feedback, and barriers to great teamwork.
Round 04
Commitments and action
Each participant identified one leadership behaviour they would change or strengthen, making a visible peer commitment.
Results and Key Outcomes
Measurable Shifts in Awareness, Dialogue, and Commitment
01
Deeper Leadership Self-Awareness
Participants articulated their personal leadership values with clarity, many for the first time in a group setting. The structured card prompts drew out reflections that conventional presentations rarely elicit.
02
Cross-Functional Connection
The mixed-group table structure brought together supervisors and managers from departments that rarely interact. Participants reported a greater sense of connection and mutual respect across functional boundaries.
03
Honest Conversation on Team Dynamics
The game created sufficient psychological safety for participants to name real friction points in communication and decision-making, opening the door for constructive dialogue on how to address them.
04
Visible Individual Commitments
Every participant left the session with a specific, peer-witnessed commitment to a leadership behaviour change. These were documented and shared with the HR team to support follow-through.
05
High Participant Energy and Engagement
Facilitator observation and end-of-session feedback indicated exceptionally high levels of engagement throughout the day. Participants remained actively involved from opening to close, with minimal disengagement observed.
"This was not a typical training day. People left the room with real commitments, not just certificates."Suleiman Shaibu — Chief Consultant, BFT Consulting Services Limited
Conclusion
The Structure Was Ours. The Insight Was Theirs.
This engagement at Dangote Fertiliser Limited is a clear demonstration of the power of experience-based facilitation in unlocking leadership conversations within large, complex organisations. The John Maxwell Leadership Game provided the structure; the participants provided the insight.
When leaders feel safe enough to speak candidly, they invariably reveal both the challenges and the solutions that exist within their own experience. BFT Consulting Services' role is to create that space and to guide the conversation towards purposeful, practical outcomes.
BFT Consulting Services is honoured to have partnered with Dangote Fertiliser Limited on this engagement and looks forward to supporting the continued development of the organisation's leadership capability.
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