Dangote Begins $2.5bn Fertiliser Plant Construction in Ethiopia

By Charles Maduka

Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, has commenced the construction of a $2.5bn fertiliser plant in Gode, Ethiopia. The project, developed in partnership with Ethiopian Investment Holdings, will have a production capacity of three million metric tonnes of urea annually and is expected to become one of the largest fertiliser complexes in the world.

Located in Ethiopia’s South-East region, the facility will utilise the country’s natural gas reserves from Hilal and Calub to improve agricultural productivity, create jobs and strengthen food security across the Horn of Africa. Speaking at the groundbreaking, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the initiative as more than industrial growth, calling it a symbol of shared responsibility, cooperation and peace.

Dangote praised the Ethiopian government for reforms and infrastructure investments that have opened key sectors to private investment. He said the partnership with Ethiopian Investment Holdings marks a major step in the shared goal of industrialising Africa and achieving food security across the continent. He added that his group’s experience in large-scale projects would help ensure the venture succeeds.

According to him, the Gode project is only the beginning, with plans to expand into the production of other fertilisers including ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, NPK and calcium ammonium nitrate. This will position Ethiopia as a regional hub for fertiliser production and support its ambition to become Africa’s leading agricultural nation within five years.

The Dangote Group, which already operates a cement plant in Ethiopia, is investing heavily across Africa to reduce import dependence. Dangote also commended financial institutions such as Afreximbank, Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank, First Bank and Zenith Bank for supporting the project, describing it as a new dawn and the first time a private African investor is partnering with an African country to build such a major industrial complex.