Dangote Industries Limited has announced a massive export expansion plan poised to generate over $7 million daily from fertiliser alone, projecting over $2.5 billion in annual foreign exchange inflow.

Speaking during a strategic visit to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) headquarters in Marina, Lagos, President of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, revealed that within the next two years, the company aims to export nearly 16,000 tonnes of fertiliser daily. This initiative, he said, will position Dangote as Nigeria’s leading private-sector contributor to foreign exchange earnings.

“When you talk about 16,000 tonnes of fertiliser, it’s about $6.5m to $7m revenue that will be coming into the country daily,” Dangote said. “With our export programme, our company will be the major supplier of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria.”

Beyond fertiliser, the conglomerate is gearing up to commence coal exports in the coming weeks, alongside an ambitious target to export no less than 25 million tonnes of petroleum products annually from its refinery. In addition, 600,000 to 700,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene are also earmarked for export.

Dangote emphasised the broader economic implications of this expansion. “When you are talking about export, we are going to be very big,” he declared, adding that these activities would significantly boost Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy sectors.

With operations at the Lekki Free Trade Zone expected to handle an unprecedented 240 ships of crude annually and over 600 ships carrying refined products, Dangote described the scale as “an operation never before seen in the country.”

In light of this, he underscored the need for a strengthened partnership with the NPA. “The NPA will need a lot of support from the Federal Government because they won’t be able to do these things with their own physical hands; they need equipment, and they need more tug boats, “ he said, pledging to advocate for the agency at the federal level.

The visit also focused on strategic collaboration to deepen Nigeria’s marine economy and enhance export infrastructure. Dangote, whose company is currently the NPA’s largest customer, stressed the importance of continuous dialogue for mutual growth.

“We are already exporting cement out of Nigeria. We have a whole factory of six million tons for cement export. So the operations of Nigerian ports will double in the next one or two years,” he said.

Meanwhile, NPA Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho confirmed that the meeting highlighted the success of the Federal Government’s new One-Stop-Shop policy for naira-based crude transactions, a reform Dangote praised for improving operational efficiency across agencies.

Since the policy’s inception in October 2024, the NPA has handled an average of 57 vessels monthly, a number expected to increase significantly as Dangote Industries scales its export volumes.

In addition to fertiliser, petrochemicals, and coal, Dangote revealed that the company is already exporting cement, with a dedicated six-million-tonne factory serving external markets. 

This aggressive export agenda by Dangote Industries signals a significant shift in Nigeria’s trade dynamics, positioning the private sector as a powerful engine for national economic transformation.