Salisu Shuaib Afolabi

Shuaib Afolabi Salisu is a Nigerian senator for Ogun Central constituency of Ogun State since 2023. He previously served as the Chief of Staff to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state from 2019 to 2023.

Salisu was elected to the National Senate for the Ogun West constituency in 2023, pulling a total of 96,759 votes to defeat his closest rival, Olumide Aderinokun of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who pulled 52,440 votes.

Since 2023, he has been the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT & Cyber Security and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity.

In March 2025, Senator Salisu emerged as the principal figure behind the Nigerian Senate's attempt to halt the proposed acquisition of Lafarge Africa Plc by China's Huaxin Cement Co. The Senate, acting on his sponsored motion, directed the Bureau of Public Procurement to suspend the US$1 billion transaction, citing concerns over national security and economic sovereignty.

The Senate's sudden alarm came despite Lafarge Africa having been majority-owned by Swiss multinational Holcim AG since 2015, which merged with Lafarge and rebranded as Holcim Group in 2021. Critics noted the inconsistency in raising national security concerns now, when past foreign ownership had not attracted similar scrutiny.

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) warned against converting the Senate into a 'sales Senate' and undermining regulatory authorities, while Senator Binos Yaroe (PDP, Adamawa Central) cautioned against negative signals to foreign investors, emphasizing Nigeria's need for capital inflows.

Observers suggested the opposition may have been influenced by entrenched domestic competitors wary of Huaxin's market entry. Huaxin, unlike the passive Holcim, has been rapidly expanding across Africa and is seen as a potential disruptor in Nigeria’s cement industry, dominated by local giants like Dangote Cement and BUA Cement.

Senator Salisu’s state of Ogun is home to the largest cement plant of Dangote Cement.