Abuja, Nigeria – Friday, 27, 2025; In a major stride towards transforming Africa’s agricultural sector, Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has announced an ambitious plan to make the continent fully self-sufficient in fertilizer production within the next 40 months.
Speaking at the Annual Afreximbank Meeting in Abuja, Dangote emphasized that Africa’s overreliance on imported fertilizers must come to an end, asserting: “In the next 40 months, Africa will not import fertilizer from anywhere.”
A Game-Changing Industrial Investment
At the center of this transformative vision is the $2.5 billion Dangote Fertilizer Plant, located in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos. With a production capacity of 3 million metric tons of urea fertilizer annually, the plant is designed to meet Africa’s rising demand while generating $7 million in daily revenue within the next two years.
This development aims to significantly address the continent’s fertilizer deficit estimated between 5 to 7 million metric tons annually in Nigeria alone and stimulate widespread agricultural productivity.
Boosting Africa’s Food Security & Economic Independence
By reducing reliance on external fertilizer sources, the initiative is expected to:
- Enhance food security across the continent,
- Create jobs and industrial opportunities,
- Strengthen local agricultural value chains,
- Spur foreign exchange earnings through export-driven production.
Advocating for “Africa First” Economic Strategy
Dangote called on African leaders to embrace a bold “Africa First” policy one that champions local investment, industrialization, and sustainable economic development.
Referencing the economic nationalism seen in global powers, he stated: “When we encourage domestic investors and they succeed, it will motivate foreign investors to come to Africa.”
Whats This Means
The Dangote Group’s expansion strategy extends beyond fertilizer. The conglomerate is scaling operations in cement, sugar, petroleum refining, and more with an eye on reaching $30 billion in annual revenue by 2026.
This push for fertilizer independence not only positions Dangote Group at the forefront of Africa’s industrial revolution but sets a precedent for homegrown solutions to the continent’s economic challenges.
