President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has reaffirmed his commitment to transforming Africa’s agricultural sector and ensuring food security across the continent through massive fertiliser investments.
Dangote made the declaration during a visit to Gode in Ethiopia’s Somali region, where he inspected the ongoing construction of a major fertiliser plant alongside Abiy Ahmed, who personally received the African business mogul and led the inspection tour.
Speaking with journalists during the visit, Dangote stressed that Africa possesses enormous agricultural potential but continues to face food insecurity due 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,” he 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 stated that the Group’s long-term ambition is to position Africa not only to feed itself but also to become a major exporter of agricultural products to the global market.
“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,” Dangote added.
The billionaire businessman also announced that Dangote Group’s investment commitment in Ethiopia has now increased from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion.
According to him, the expanded investment package includes the construction of a 110-kilometre pipeline, a 120MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a two-million-tonne NPK blending plant, among other strategic infrastructure projects.
Dangote described Ethiopia as one of the Group’s most strategic investment destinations in Africa.
“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 stated.
He further praised Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his visionary leadership and commitment to economic transformation, noting that meaningful development can only thrive through 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,” he said.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described Dangote as a dependable partner and commended the progress recorded on the fertiliser project.
He noted that the project aligns with Ethiopia’s broader economic development agenda and would significantly improve local fertiliser production, reduce dependence on imports, and support millions of Ethiopian farmers.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the project’s economic benefits, including job creation, industrial expansion, and strengthening Ethiopia’s position as a growing 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.”
The Dangote fertiliser initiative is widely regarded as a landmark project capable of reshaping Africa’s agricultural landscape through increased productivity, reduced import dependence, and sustainable economic growth.
Photo Captions:
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 Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, being welcomed by Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, during an inspection visit to the fertiliser plant under construction in Gode, Ethiopia’s Somali region, over the weekend.