DANGOTE GROUP'S INVESTMENT IN ETHIOPIA NOW WORTH OVER $4BN

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:01]The return to Gode after the groundbreaking of the fertilizer plant here last October.

[00:00:10]Not much may be standing physically on site, but a lot of intangible efforts has been put in to scale up the initial $2.5 billion investment and expand beyond the planned annual 3 million metric tons projected at conception.

[00:00:30]Since the groundbreaking, there have been more discussions, negotiations, I explained to His Excellency, the Prime Minister, that we need a captive power. We don't want to really go on the national grid. and agreements.

[00:00:46]There's going to be our own power.

[00:00:49]You know, which before we say no, Ethiopia had power, so now we are putting about 120 megawatts of power.

[00:00:59]Immediate civil construction starts from now, we are told.

[00:01:03]5,000 units of accommodation is expected to be delivered in 4 months.

[00:01:08]This area that you see is a very hilly area, so we are going to flatten it uh by the next we'll have 5,000 accommodation here.

[00:01:20]That will be followed by more aggressive construction to speed up the delivery date of the main plant, which has now been cut down to 30 months, even with the expanded operational capacity. And from today, this project will start production.

[00:01:36]Delivered will start production in 30 months from now.

[00:01:40]And we'll be doing 3 million tons of uh urea fertilizer. We are also having a packaging plant.

[00:01:49]You know, the polypropylene where we are producing our own bags.

[00:01:54]Uh which uh so it's a very, very uh you know, this is We are going to transform the agricultural sector here in Ethiopia.

[00:02:01]We will, in addition to that, do a MPK plant, which will do about at least 2 million tons of cement. So, MPK will be 2 million, urea will be 3 million. So, it's a very big, massive, uh this thing. Few months when we discussed, he promised to deliver in 40 months.

[00:02:23]Now, he's reduced between 5 to 10 months.

[00:02:29]Uh this is a great news for us. If we could uh realize in certain plus months the fertilizer plant, this means a lot for Ethiopia.

[00:02:38]We can definitely realize our strategic vision on food security, not only for Ethiopia, we can also share uh food and other resources, including fertilizer, to our neighboring countries. Africa, like the other parts of the world, is feeling the effect of the US war on Iran. The restrictions at the Strait of Hormuz projected to trigger imminent global food crisis. With the Golden investment is part of Africa's response, not just for now, but for any such future shock. Anytime there is a war somewhere, when there was a war, I mean, when there is this the start of the Ukraine- Russian war, we had series of issues with uh petroleum products, and also fertilizer.

[00:03:26]So, what Dangote Group is trying to do is to now transform that agricultural side of it, which is now to take about from the 3 million tons we have today to 12 million. 12 million is going to put us the largest producer of urea in the world.

[00:03:44]When we came before few months, we didn't expect to see what's happening today here. And this shows that Dangote is a very trusted partner.

[00:03:54]With the planned expansion of the plant, the Dangote Group says its investment across sectors in the East African country has hit over $4 billion with more plans still unfolding.

[00:04:06]Ethiopia actually is the second largest receiver of our own DC. In fact, they are taking almost about 9% of our entire Africa-wide investment between now and 2030. And it's going to also increase. We've been talking to His Excellency, the Prime Minister, to make sure that okay, fine, what do we do different? Because this is a place that I believe any business person who is very serious about investment, Ethiopia is one is number one on our list.

[00:04:40]Well, Aliko Dangote is a one of uh anchor investors in the world and the one and the only in our continent. So, we consider him as one of us.

[00:04:52]The second biggest investment of his company in Africa after Nigeria is in Ethiopia. Uh he used to invest in cement uh plant. Now, he's planning to invest in uh sugar factory. Also, we are discussing on many other sectors.

[00:05:09]Our interest is uh to have him in many area because he's delivering. As a government, we want to support him. We want to realize our common uh vision.

[00:05:19]It's a win-win for both of us.

[00:05:21]Mr. Prime Minister Ali is not just excited, he sees a future where Ethiopia knocks off Nigeria to top the chart in the Dangote Group's investment plan to set up blending plants of various types in at least 20 countries across the continents. The race is on.

[00:05:42]The Kubok Oye Toji, Arise News, Gode, ETHIOPIA.

[00:05:47]>> GODE, ETHIOPIA.