The Dangote Group has begun construction of a $2.5 billion fertiliser plant in Gode, Ethiopia, marking a major step in strengthening Africa’s agricultural self-sufficiency and industrialisation.
The project, a partnership between Dangote Group and Ethiopian Investment Holdings, will have a production capacity of three million metric tonnes of urea annually, positioning it among the world’s largest fertiliser complexes.
Located in Ethiopia’s South-East region, the plant will leverage the country’s natural gas resources from the Hilal and Calub reserves to boost agricultural productivity, create jobs, and enhance food security across the Horn of Africa.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the project as a symbol of cooperation and peace, reflecting Ethiopia’s drive to harness opportunities and strengthen its global presence.
Dangote praised Ethiopia’s economic reforms and investment-friendly policies, crediting the government’s infrastructure development — including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — as a key foundation for industrial growth.
“This partnership represents a pivotal moment in our shared vision to industrialise Africa and achieve food security across the continent,” Dangote said, adding that the Gode facility would later expand to produce other fertilisers such as ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, NPK, and calcium ammonium nitrate.
The Ethiopian venture follows Dangote’s earlier investment in the country’s cement sector, where it operates a 2.5 Mtpa plant in Mugher. The group plans to double that capacity with an additional $400 million investment.
Dangote emphasised that the group’s strategy is rooted in the belief that only Africans can truly industrialise Africa, citing Nigeria’s transformation into a net exporter of cement, fertiliser, and petroleum products as a model.
He also highlighted plans to set up a polypropylene bagging plant in Ethiopia to support the fertiliser industry.
The project has attracted support from financial institutions including Afreximbank, Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank, First Bank, and Zenith Bank.
Ethiopia’s Somali Region President, Mustafa Omar, hailed Dangote as the “anchor investor Ethiopia has been looking for,” while the Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, commended Ethiopia’s economic strides and predicted stronger ties between Nigeria and Ethiopia.