Nigeria is positioning itself to become a major force in the global fertiliser and petrochemical industries, according to the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote. He revealed that the company is targeting the position of the world’s largest exporter of urea fertiliser by 2026, a milestone he described as a source of national pride.
Dangote made this declaration at the Dangote Refinery complex in Lagos during the celebration of the one-year anniversary of the refinery’s gasoline rollout. The event drew key industry stakeholders, who listened as the billionaire industrialist outlined his ambitious plans for scaling up operations.
Speaking with conviction, he noted that his company was determined to place Nigeria at the centre of the international urea market.
“We’re actually targeting to be the largest exporter of urea fertiliser in the world. And that’s a big celebration for Nigeria.”
Aliko Dangote
Industry watchers believe this expansion in urea production will not only boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings but also enhance food security across Africa, where fertiliser demand far outpaces domestic production capacity.
Nigeria Set To Lead Petrochemical Exports
Beyond fertiliser, Dangote also pointed to remarkable progress in petrochemicals, with special emphasis on polypropylene, a material vital for packaging, textiles, and automobile parts. He said Nigeria’s industrial footprint in this sector was expanding rapidly.
“Nigeria will be the largest exporter of Polypropylene in Africa. It will be the largest supplier of Polypropylene. And we are not deterred by all this noise coming through.”
Aliko Dangote
Experts argue that this could position Nigeria as a continental hub for petrochemical exports, reducing the continent’s dependence on supplies from Asia and Europe.
The refinery’s anniversary also saw the unveiling of 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks for nationwide transportation of petroleum products. Dangote revealed that the rollout forms part of a larger plan to deploy 4,000 trucks before the end of the year.
The initiative, which he disclosed cost over N2 trillion, is intended to address logistics challenges, lower transportation costs, and expand fuel accessibility. Each CNG truck is valued at between N170 million and N190 million.
Dangote Promises Jobs And Sustainability Drive
Dangote stressed that the trucking plan was not only about efficient fuel distribution but also about large-scale job creation.
“We are saying that there will be lots of jobs. Are our own trucks to be driven by robots? They are not robotic trucks. By the time you involve a workshop manager, mechanical, electric truck, people who look after cars, people who look at the logistic movement of the truck, dispatch, every truck will have about six people.”
Aliko Dangote
With 4,000 trucks in the pipeline, the group estimates the creation of at least 24,000 direct and indirect jobs. He further disclosed that truck drivers under the initiative would earn salaries three to four times higher than Nigeria’s national minimum wage, reinforcing the company’s pledge to uplift workers’ welfare.
Looking ahead, Dangote said the group was already preparing for the next phase of its operations by embracing sustainability and energy transition. He announced that starting January 2026, the group would begin deploying electric vehicles for product transportation. “Our next phase is that, from February next year, we are looking at doing electric vehicles,” he said, underlining a commitment to global trends in green energy.
As Nigeria charts a path toward industrial transformation, Dangote’s vision for fertiliser and petrochemical expansion could mark a turning point for both the economy and the wider African market.
