L–R: Dangote Oil and Gas Vice President, Mr. Edwin Devakumar; Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed; President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Deputy Chairman of the Prosperity Party, Adem Farah; and Dangote Group Chief Strategy Officer, Aliyu Suleiman, during an inspection of the fertiliser plant under construction in Gode, Ethiopia, over the weekend.
President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening food security across Africa through large-scale fertiliser investments, declaring that the continent has the capacity to feed itself and become a major agricultural exporter.
Dangote made the remarks during a high-profile visit to Gode in Ethiopia’s Somali region, where he was hosted by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The Ethiopian leader personally accompanied Dangote to inspect the site of a proposed fertiliser plant currently under development.
Speaking during the visit, Dangote said Africa’s persistent food insecurity challenges are closely linked to limited access to fertiliser and other critical agricultural inputs.
“Africa holds immense agricultural potential, yet continues to grapple with food insecurity due to limited access to fertiliser,” Dangote said. “Through our investments, we are committed to reversing this trend by boosting productivity, empowering farmers, and advancing a sustainable path to food self-sufficiency.”
He added that the company’s long-term investment strategy is designed to unlock Africa’s agricultural potential and position the continent as a global food production hub.
“Africa has the capacity to feed itself and even export to the rest of the world. Our fertiliser investments across the continent are designed to unlock that potential and secure a prosperous future for our people,” he stated.
Dangote Raises Ethiopia Investment to Over $4 Billion
Dangote also announced that the Group’s total investment commitment in Ethiopia has increased from $2.5 billion to more than $4 billion, reflecting an expanded industrial and infrastructure footprint in the East African country.
The new investment components include a 110-kilometre gas pipeline, a 120MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a two-million-tonne NPK fertiliser blending plant, among other industrial projects.
According to Dangote, Ethiopia has emerged as one of the company’s most strategic investment destinations on the continent.
“In total, our declared and signed investments in Ethiopia now exceed $4 billion. This makes Ethiopia the second-largest recipient of our investments in Africa, accounting for nearly nine per cent of our continental outlay between now and 2030,” he said.
The billionaire industrialist also praised the economic reform agenda of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, noting that sustainable economic transformation requires strong collaboration between governments and the private sector.
“The Prime Minister is driving development beyond expectations, but such progress requires strong private sector collaboration. We are proud to partner with Ethiopia to help build one of Africa’s most dynamic economies in the coming decade,” Dangote added.
Ethiopia Sees Fertiliser Project as Strategic Economic Boost
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described Dangote as a trusted development partner and said the fertiliser project aligns with Ethiopia’s broader industrialisation and agricultural transformation agenda.
He noted that the plant would help reduce Ethiopia’s dependence on imported fertiliser, strengthen domestic production capacity, and support millions of farmers across the country.
According to the Prime Minister, the project is also expected to generate thousands of jobs, deepen industrial value chains, and reinforce Ethiopia’s position as an emerging agro-industrial hub in Africa.
“This type of large-scale investment demonstrates the power of strong collaboration between government and the private sector,” Abiy Ahmed said. “Expanding such partnerships will accelerate economic growth, attract further investment, and improve the livelihoods of our people.”
Industry analysts say the Dangote fertiliser expansion could play a significant role in reshaping Africa’s agricultural landscape by improving fertiliser access, boosting crop yields, reducing import dependence, and supporting long-term food security across the continent.
