Ethiopia Positioning As Regional Fertiliser Exporter With Dangote’s $2.5bn Urea Project

Ethiopian government is positioning to become a regional fertiliser exporter after its fruitful discussions with Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote to establish a massive urea plant.

Dangote had visited Ethiopia over the weekend as part of efforts to deepen the group’s investment in the country, including the development of a large-scale urea fertiliser plant in Gode.

The Ethiopian government and the Dangote Group had initially agreed on a $2.5 billion deal for the project, which is expected to produce 3 million metric tonnes of urea annually. The government says the plant is central to its goal of making Ethiopia self-sufficient in fertiliser production while also positioning the country as a major regional exporter.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described food security as a “strategic intervention” as Ethiopia and the Dangote Group move ahead with plans for a major fertiliser plant in the country’s Somali region.

Abiy said the project reflects a shared vision between Ethiopia and the Dangote Group.

“Our interest is to have him in many areas because he’s delivering. As a government, we want to support him and realize our common vision. It’s a win-win for both of us,” the prime minister said.

He added that both sides stand to benefit from the partnership and expressed confidence in the long-term value of Dangote’s investment in Ethiopia.

Dangote Group later said its total investment commitment in Ethiopia has now risen to more than $4 billion, citing an expanded infrastructure plan linked to the fertiliser project.

According to the company, the wider investment will include a 110-kilometer pipeline, a 120-megawatt power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a two-million-tonne NPK blending plant.

Dangote said Ethiopia has become one of the group’s most significant investment destinations on the continent.