Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has declared that Africa could become self-sufficient in fertiliser within just 40 months, thanks to the ambitious expansion of his $2.5 billion fertiliser plant on the outskirts of Lagos.
Speaking on Friday, Dangote outlined how the expansion plans for the Dangote Fertiliser Plant—already the largest granulated urea plant in Africa—will significantly boost the continent’s domestic production capacity. This could help eliminate Africa’s costly reliance on fertiliser imports, which currently stand at over 6 million metric tonnes a year.
Fertiliser remains a critical input for Africa’s food security. Many African nations face low crop yields due to soil depletion, poor access to inputs, and unpredictable weather conditions. By producing more fertiliser locally, farmers could benefit from more affordable, readily available supplies, reducing costs and strengthening food supply chains.
The move is part of a broader push to make Africa more resilient in the face of global supply chain disruptions and price shocks that have hit agricultural inputs since the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Dangote’s plant already supplies markets across West Africa, and the planned scale-up could see exports reaching more distant parts of the continent. He added that the expansion aligns with wider goals to reduce Africa’s food import bill, create jobs in agro-processing, and build more robust rural economies.
While some analysts caution that infrastructure bottlenecks, high transport costs, and currency volatility may pose challenges, Dangote’s timeline has been welcomed by policymakers eager to see African agriculture become more self-reliant and less exposed to volatile global markets.
Source: Further Africa
