Dangote projects Nigeria to earn $7m daily from fertiliser exports in two years

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has projected that Nigeria will begin to earn as much as $7 million in daily revenue within the next two years through fertiliser exports, positioning the company as a major driver of foreign exchange in the country.

Dangote made this revelation on Monday during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Marina, Lagos. He noted that the company’s ambitious export programme, especially in fertiliser, will inject substantial foreign currency into the Nigerian economy.

“In the next two years, we will be exporting about 16,000 tonnes of fertiliser daily. That’s roughly between $6.5 million and $7 million in revenue each day,” Dangote said, underscoring the significant economic impact of the project. “With this programme, our company will become the largest supplier of foreign exchange in Nigeria.”

The business mogul further disclosed plans to begin coal exports within weeks, adding that Dangote Industries is also gearing up to export no less than 25 million tonnes of refined products annually from its refinery operations. The company, he said, will also be exporting between 600,000 and 700,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene.

“When it comes to export, we are going to be very big,” he remarked confidently.

As Africa’s richest man, Dangote stressed the importance of strengthening ties with the NPA, particularly in advancing Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy sector. He described the NPA as a key partner, citing the company’s scale of operation which currently makes it the authority’s largest customer.

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“We discussed extensively with the NPA leadership about improving the Marine and Blue Economy sector,” he said. “This kind of interaction is crucial for the growth of the industry, and we’ve agreed to work hand-in-hand for the benefit of Nigeria.”

According to Dangote, their current operations at the Lekki axis alone will involve around 240 crude oil tankers annually, each carrying one million barrels. Combined with the movement of refined products, he projected over 600 ship movements per year, plus eight ships regularly dedicated to fertiliser export.

“This is an operational scale never before witnessed in Nigeria,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of Federal Government support to the NPA to ensure smooth operations. “If the NPA doesn’t give us the services we need, our operations would struggle. They require more support, equipment, tug boats, and technical capacity,” Dangote noted, promising to advocate for the authority in relevant government circles.

The industrialist also revealed plans for significant expansion in cement exports, pointing to a six-million-tonne-capacity plant dedicated to exports. He predicted that overall port activity would double in the next one to two years as a result of Dangote Group’s growing export footprint.

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