Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, says Nigeria is on course to become the world’s largest exporter of urea fertiliser by 2026, positioning the country as a major player in the global fertiliser and petrochemical markets.
Speaking on Monday at the Dangote Refinery complex in Lagos during an event marking the one-year anniversary of the refinery’s gasoline rollout, Dangote said the company is scaling operations to meet rising international demand.
“We’re actually targeting to be the largest exporter of urea fertiliser in the world. And that’s a big celebration for Nigeria,” he said, adding that the move would boost foreign exchange earnings and enhance food security across Africa.
He also outlined plans in petrochemicals, noting that Nigeria is set to become the continent’s largest exporter and supplier of polypropylene, a material used in packaging, textiles, and automotive manufacturing. Industry observers say this could reduce Africa’s reliance on imports from Asia and Europe.
The anniversary event also featured the launch of 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks, part of a N2 trillion initiative to deploy 4,000 CNG trucks by year-end. Dangote said the project, with each truck costing between N170 million and N190 million, aims to ease logistics challenges, cut transport costs, and expand fuel access nationwide.
The initiative is expected to create at least 24,000 direct and indirect jobs, with truck drivers earning three to four times the national minimum wage. “Every truck will have about six people involved, from drivers to logistics managers. These are not robotic trucks,” Dangote said.
Looking ahead, the group plans to begin deploying electric vehicles for product transportation by January 2026, underscoring its commitment to sustainability and the global energy transition.
