Dangote Group to export its first shipment of fertilizer to the USA and Brazil

NIGERIA – Dangote Group has announced plans to begin the export of its first shipment of fertilizer from its new fertilizer plant at the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos, to the USA and Brazil.

Initial shipment from one of the world’s biggest fertilizer plant, which has the capacity to produce 3 million tonnes of urea and ammonia per year, is expected to start in late June or early July.

Aliko Dangote, the billionaire chairman of Dangote Group, said that the new fertilizer plant will export its first shipment in late June or early July, to Louisiana, while the majority of exports from the plant are expected to go to Brazil, adding that it will also be able to supply all the major markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Apart from meeting the domestic demand, we are going to be able to earn quite a lot of money exporting the goods to the South American countries,” he said.

“Apart from meeting the domestic demand, we are going to be able to earn quite a lot of money exporting the goods to the South American countries.”

Aliko Dangote – Chairman, Dangote Group

Mr Devakumar Edwin, Group Executive Director (Strategy, Capital Projects & Portfolio Development) of Dangote Industries Limited had recently said that the US$2.5 billion fertilizer plant, which recently commenced operations can produce enough for local demand as it looks towards exports. He said that the plant currently delivers 120 trucks locally.

The new plant at the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos State, designed to manufacture 3 million tonnes of urea per year, will also be able to supply all the major markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

Aside fertilizer production, the company is already working to support the farmers with training on application of the fertilizer and even establish laboratories across the country for proper soil examination.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria consumed around 20 kg of fertiliser per hectare of arable land in 2018, compared with 73 kg in South Africa and 393 kg in China.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had banned the allocation of its foreign exchange for fertiliser imports as part of controls aimed at boosting local production.