Fertiliser: Dangote says Africa will be self-sufficient in 40 months, vows to challenge global producers
By Synthia Lateu
Renowned Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote has unveiled bold plans to challenge leading global fertiliser producers and make Africa self-sufficient in fertiliser production, ending the continent’s reliance on imports.
Speaking at the annual Afreximbank meeting in Abuja, Dangote said, “In the next 40 months, Africa will not import fertiliser from anywhere. We have a very aggressive trajectory right now. We want Dangote to be the highest producer of urea, bigger and higher than Qatar — give me 40 months,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
He explained that this ambition would be driven by the planned expansion of his $2.5 billion fertiliser plant on the outskirts of Lagos. Dangote currently operates Africa’s largest granulated urea complex, with an annual capacity of 3 million tons—37% of which is exported to the United States. To meet his target, output will need to double.
On May 26, the billionaire also revealed that Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) aims to generate $7 million in daily revenue from fertiliser sales within the next two years.
African countries have long depended on fertiliser imports to meet demand. The continent currently imports over 6 million metric tons annually, struggling to achieve food security amid harsh agricultural conditions.
In Cameroon, for instance, fertiliser import prices surged in 2023, partly due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Cameroon imported 228,326 tons that year, a 76.2% increase from the 2022, at a total cost of CFA 70.9 billion.
However, efforts to reduce dependence are underway. In May 2025, Cameroon launched its first chemical fertiliser production plant, a major step toward cutting costly imports and boosting local agriculture. The facility is expected to halve the country’s annual fertiliser imports, currently estimated at 300,000 tons.
