- The Dangote Fertilizer Plant is located in the capital of Lagos and is owned by the richest man in Nigeria, Aliko Dangote
- Most countries in Africa and the world are heavily dependent on commercializing agriculture, directly translating to the increase in the demand for fertilizers.
- The Dangote Fertilizer Plant is the largest fertilizer production factory in Africa and the second-largest in the world
Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, has inaugurated a US$2.5 billion fertilizer plant as the country’s target contributing to the global supply amidst increasing prices during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
High costs of fertilizers are already threatening farmers amid sanctions on Russia, a significant supplier of fertilizers across the world, where the government in March urged domestic producers to temporary halt exportation.
The Dangote Fertilizer Plant is located in the capital of Lagos and is owned by the richest man in Nigeria, Aliko Dangote. During the plant launch on March 22, President Buhari said that the nation stands to gain extensively from its production.
Read: Covid-19 spill over: The rich are richer, the poor poorer
Most countries in Africa and the world are heavily dependent on commercializing agriculture, directly translating to the increase in the demand for fertilizers.
In Nigeria, agriculture contributed 25.8 per cent of the US$173 billion gross domestic product in 2021. The Dangote fertilizer plant will help eradicate the fertilizer problem as most farmers in the country are restricted with limited supplies such as fertilizer and improved seedlings.
The new fertilizer plant will produce 3 million metric tonnes annually, with Buhari expecting a boom as fertilizer is now readily available in more significant quantities and better quality. The head of state encouraged Nigerians to take up agriculture as a business, saying that he expects the rise of a new breed of agropreneurs who will add value to farming and make the nation self-sufficient in food production.”
Dangote said that fertilizer from the plant would be exported to many countries, including the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and India.
“The new plant will make Nigeria self-sufficient in fertilizer production with excess capacity to export to other African markets and the rest of the world,” said Aliko Dangote. “Our goal is to make fertilizer available in sufficient quantity and quality for our teeming farmers, assuring greater agricultural output.”
The Dangote Fertilizer Plant is the largest fertilizer production factory in Africa and the second-largest in the world. The visionary leadership of the Dangote Group is driving the manufacturing sector in the wealthiest country by GDP.
Read: Africa’s richest men who became richer in a pandemic
Dangote has built his wealth primarily from Dangote Cement. Still, he is looking to cement his position at the top of the chain through the diversification of his businesses across Africa. Dangote Group is the largest conglomerate in Africa.
The Dangote Group Nigeria now has 19 companies, that includes the following subsidiaries;
1. The new Dangote fertilizers plant- The largest fertilizer production plant in Africa
2. ALCO International Limited- Deals in the wholesale distribution of electrical appliances, television and radio sets.
3. Dangote Transport Limited- His transport company, Dantrans Limited, uses modern technological devices like the advanced GPS to provide rapid and safe transport services in Nigeria.
4. Dangote Nigeria Limited
6. National Salt Company of Nigeria Plc. – Listed on Nigeria Stock Exchange and deals in the production of edible and industrial salts.
7. Dangote Flour Mills Plc. – Listed on Nigeria Stock Exchange and is involved in the milling of wheat and production of wheat products.
8. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc. – This company is listed on Nigeria Stock Exchange. It is solely based on extracting juice from local sugarcanes and processing them into sugar for domestic consumption.
9. Dangote Oil and Gas Industries International- Dangote built one of the biggest oil refineries in Nigeria in 2007 to stabilize the unstable fuel condition in the country.
10. Dangote General Textile Products Ltd- The organization operates in the Clothing and Accessories sector.
11. Dangote Holdings Limited- A private entity that specializes in investments
12. Blue Star Shipping Lines Limited- A professional loading and discharging outfit in the maritime sector.
13. Dansa Foods Limited- A beverage manufacturing company
14. Dansa Food Processing Limited
15. Dancom Technologies- It is a company established to provide IT services and support to organizations.
16. GreenView International Company Limited – invested more than US$28million in cement factory in Ghana.
17. Sephaku Cement Limited – Dangote Group has 64 per cent shareholding in this South African cement company.
18. Alheri Engineering Limited- It deals in manufacturing construction and fabrication products. Alheri also provides engineering services qualitatively and quickly.
19. Kura Holdings Limited.
Read: Strengthen fertilizer value chains- African Development Bank
