In a bold and highly welcome declaration with sweeping implications for food security and economic resilience, Nigerian billionaire and industrialist Aliko Dangote announced on Friday that Africa will be self-sufficient in fertiliser within 40 months. The announcement was made at the annual Afreximbank meeting in Abuja, where Dangote outlined an ambitious plan to expand his $2.5 billion fertiliser plant located on the outskirts of Lagos.
Dangote declared, “Africa will not import fertilizer from anywhere in the next 40 months.” “At the moment, we are on a really aggressive trajectory. Our goal is for Dangote [Fertilizer] to surpass Qatar as the largest and most significant urea producer. Let me have forty months.
A key gap that hinders Africa’s agricultural output in the face of expanding populations, climate constraints, and intricate supply networks is the continent’s present yearly import of more than 6 million metric tons of fertilizer. Increased crop yields and food security depend on fertilizer, yet reliance on imports has put a burden on national budgets and foreign exchange reserves, especially in Nigeria. 
With an annual capacity of 3 million tons, Dangote Fertilizer runs Africa’s largest granulated urea complex. Currently, 37% of its production is exported to markets like the United States. Dangote will need to double production to reach the self-sufficiency goal, which he says is well within reach despite protectionist tariffs and global trade headwinds. “I am not worried about Trump tariffs,” Dangote said confidently, highlighting his optimism about the plant’s strategic importance and export potential. Analysts have characterized the outlook for fertilizer production as steadily improving due to rising food demand and regional initiatives to lessen reliance on global supply chains.
In addition to lowering Africa’s $6 billion yearly fertilizer import cost, the growth of Dangote’s fertilizer activities would establish Africa as a major player in the world agrochemical industry. Additionally, under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the project supports more general continental objectives of industrialization, agricultural transformation, and self-reliance.
Dangote’s audacious pledge, which has the weight of more than simply industry ambition as farmers in Africa prepare for another planting season, offers the possibility for millions of people to feed themselves through a more independent and sustainable agricultural future.
