Nigeria has launched the largest fertilizer plant in Africa. President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the dubbed Dangote Fertilizer Plant and said he hopes the facility will contribute to the global supply amid the impact of increasing prices in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to Nigeria Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, the plant is timely with the the global fertilizer market jolted. It will help the country solve a perennial fertilizer problem. Agriculture is a lifeline for Nigeria’s economy, contributing 25.8% of its 173 billion dollars gross domestic product in 2021. However, farmers are sometimes constrained with limited supplies such as fertilizer and improved seedlings.
‘‘We expect the rise of a new breed of agropreneurs who will add value to farming and make the nation self-sufficient in food production,’’ said Emefiele.
Dangote Fertilizer Plant
The US $2.5bn plant will produce a capacity of 3 million metric tons annually. Fertilizer from the plant located in an industrial zone in Lagos will be exported to many countries including the U.S., Brazil, India and Mexico.
Across the world, high fertilizer costs already threaten farmers amid sanctions on Russia, a major global supplier of fertilizer, where authorities in March urged domestic producers to temporary halt exports.
“The new plant will make Nigeria self-sufficient in fertilizer production with excess capacity to export to other African markets and the rest of the world. Our goal is to make fertilizer available in sufficient quantity and quality for our teeming farmers, assuring greater agricultural output,” said Aliko Dangote.
