Global Ambition: Dangote Targets World’s Largest Fertilizer Producer by 2028

 

​In a bold declaration affirming Africa’s rising prominence in global industrial manufacturing, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has announced that his company is on track to become the world’s largest producer of urea fertilizer by 2028.

​Speaking at the Imo Economic Summit, the African business mogul revealed the aggressive capacity expansion plan, which aims to leverage the group’s existing massive petrochemical infrastructure to dominate the global market for this crucial agricultural input.

​The Ambitious Production Roadmap

​Dangote detailed the strategy, which involves quadrupling the group's current output capacity:

​Current Capacity: The Dangote Group currently produces approximately 3 million tons of urea fertilizer per annum from its world-class plant in Lekki, Nigeria.

​2028 Target: The group plans to escalate this production capacity to an astounding 12 million tons annually.

​Achieving a 12-million-ton output would not only secure the top global position for the Dangote Group but would also significantly shift the geopolitical landscape of the fertilizer market, currently dominated by producers in Russia, China, and the Middle East.

​Calling for Local Investment and Self-Reliance

​Dangote used the platform to issue a strong appeal for increased domestic investment by Africans, emphasizing the critical link between local capital and attracting international confidence.

​"Africans must invest at home because that is the best way to convince a foreign investor to invest in Africa," he stated.

​He highlighted his own strategy of doubling investment at home, including a target to increase the group's oil refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), demonstrating a commitment to large-scale, transformative projects within Nigeria and the continent.

​This focus on inward investment aligns with the broader theme of the economic summit, which seeks to harness Africa's vast potential, including its large youth population and significant mineral reserves, to lay a foundation of hope and self-determination for the future. By committing to these mega-projects, the Dangote Group is pioneering the narrative that Africa can be a global manufacturing hub, not just a source of raw materials.

​The success of this plan would not only create vast job opportunities but also enhance food security across Africa by providing affordable, locally produced fertilizer, thus impacting millions of farmers and reducing the continent's reliance on expensive imports.