AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has performed the groundbreaking ceremony for a $2.5 billion fertiliser plant in Gode, Ethiopia.
The Dangote Group said the project – a partnership between the conglomerate and Ethiopian Investment Holdings – will have an annual production capacity of three million metric tonnes of urea, making it one of the largest fertiliser complexes in the world upon completion.
Located in Ethiopia’s south-eastern region, the plant will utilise the country’s vast natural gas resources from the Hilal and Calub reserves to boost agricultural productivity, create jobs, and strengthen food security across the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the project as a symbol of unity, cooperation, and shared progress, emphasising its significance beyond industrial growth.
“The fertiliser project embodies our shared responsibility to harness opportunities, strengthen cooperation, and promote peace. I call upon all Ethiopians to continue mobilising in unity for progress,” the Prime Minister said.
He commended his administration’s ongoing investments in critical infrastructure – including transport, energy, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – noting that such projects form the backbone of Ethiopia’s industrialisation drive.
Abiy added that the Gode fertiliser complex is only the beginning, as there is the future plans to diversify into the production of other fertiliser types.
According to him, this expansion would position Ethiopia as a major hub for fertiliser production in the region.
