Dangote fertiliser expansion set to triple Nigeria’s urea output to nine million tonnes with new global partnerships and Ethiopia mega project

The Dangote Group has unveiled a series of major technical partnerships aimed at accelerating its Dangote fertiliser expansion plan in Nigeria and supporting the development of a multi-billion-dollar fertiliser plant in Ethiopia.

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In a statement issued on Thursday, the conglomerate said the new agreements would enable it to triple Nigeria’s annual urea production from three million metric tonnes to nine million metric tonnes.

The move positions the country to become a dominant fertiliser hub for African and global markets.

The company’s existing two-train fertiliser complex in Lagos currently produces three million metric tonnes of urea a year.

Under the new expansion plan, four additional production trains will be added to meet rising demand from farmers, agro-dealers and international off-takers.

The latest development comes just forty-eight hours after the group named US-based Honeywell as its strategic partner for its refinery capacity-doubling project.

According to the statement, the partnerships mark a critical step in efforts to strengthen food security, enhance agricultural productivity and deepen Africa’s role in the global fertiliser supply chain.

The expansion will push Nigerian urea and ammonia output to unprecedented levels.

Beyond Nigeria, the Group has begun work on a massive 2.5 billion-dollar fertiliser plant in Gode, Ethiopia.

The new facility, designed to produce another three million metric tonnes of urea annually, forms part of Dangote’s ambition to cut Africa’s import dependence and shield the continent from volatile global fertiliser markets. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Ethiopian project was recently held.

To deliver the expansion to international standards, Dangote signed technical partnership agreements with four global engineering leaders: Topsoe, Saipem, Thyssenkrupp/UFT and Engineers India Limited.

Topsoe will supply ammonia technology licences and process design packages for six ammonia plants across Nigeria and Ethiopia. Saipem will provide design packages for urea melt units in all six plants.

Thyssenkrupp, through its UFT division, will supply advanced granulation technology, ensuring premium-grade urea granules for domestic and export markets. Engineers India Limited has been appointed project management consultant for the new production trains in Lekki.

The Group said the expansion underlines its commitment to building world-class industrial assets, boosting agricultural value chains and creating thousands of jobs across Africa.

It added that the projects will contribute significantly to economic growth in Nigeria, Ethiopia and neighbouring regions.

Africa currently consumes less than twenty per cent of the fertiliser required for optimal crop yields due to insufficient production and high market prices.

Dangote Fertiliser, Africa’s largest facility, has already begun exporting to Brazil, Mexico and key West African markets.

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With the new expansion, Nigeria is on course to become one of the world’s top urea producers, bolstering food production at a time when climate stress and geopolitical tensions are disrupting agricultural supply chains globally.