President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has increased the company’s investment in Ethiopia to more than $4bn as part of plans to strengthen fertiliser production and boost food security across Africa.
Dangote disclosed this during a visit to Gode in Ethiopia’s Somali region, where he met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and inspected the site of a proposed fertiliser plant under construction.
According to a statement released on Sunday, the latest investment expansion covers major infrastructure projects aimed at supporting agricultural and industrial growth in Ethiopia.
Speaking during the visit, Dangote said Africa’s persistent food insecurity is largely linked to poor access to fertiliser despite the continent’s huge agricultural potential.
He noted that increasing fertiliser production remains critical to improving productivity, empowering farmers and achieving food self-sufficiency across Africa.
According to him, Africa possesses the capacity not only to feed its population but also to become a major exporter of agricultural products if strategic investments in agriculture and fertiliser production are sustained.
Dangote revealed that the company’s investment in Ethiopia has grown from $2.5bn to over $4bn, making the East African country the second-largest destination for Dangote Group investments on the continent.
He explained that the projects include a 110-kilometre pipeline, a 120-megawatt power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility and a two-million-tonne NPK fertiliser blending plant.
Dangote described Ethiopia as a key strategic hub for the group’s long-term African expansion plans and commended Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for driving rapid economic development in the country.
He added that strong collaboration between governments and the private sector remains essential for accelerating growth and industrialisation across Africa.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed the investment and described Dangote as an important partner in Ethiopia’s industrial development agenda.
According to him, the fertiliser project will help increase local production capacity, reduce dependence on imports and support millions of farmers across Ethiopia.
Abiy noted that large-scale investments such as Dangote’s demonstrate the importance of public-private partnerships in driving economic growth, attracting new investments and improving livelihoods.
The project is also expected to strengthen Ethiopia’s agricultural value chain, create jobs and position the country as an emerging agro-industrial hub on the African continent.
