Africa’s richest industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has raised the scale of his fertiliser project in Ethiopia to over $4 billion following a high-profile visit to the country’s eastern region.

Dangote was warmly received in Gode, where he met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Both leaders later visited the construction site of a major fertiliser plant currently being developed in the area.

The project is being executed through a partnership between Dangote Industries Limited and Ethiopian Investment Holdings, following an agreement signed last year. The facility is designed to produce up to three million metric tonnes of urea annually.

Construction began in October 2025 after the formal launch of the joint venture, with Dangote holding a 60 per cent stake and the Ethiopian side controlling the remaining 40 per cent.

During the visit, Dangote announced that the investment has been revised upward from $2.5 billion to more than $4 billion. The expansion includes additional infrastructure such as a 110-kilometre pipeline, a 120MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a large-scale NPK blending plant.

Ethiopian authorities described the project as a key pillar in the country’s push for agricultural transformation and industrial growth. Prime Minister Abiy said the development would reduce reliance on imported fertiliser, strengthen local production, and create employment opportunities.

He also noted that progress at the site has been steady, describing the construction pace as encouraging and aligned with national development goals.

Dangote Industries said the project reflects its broader commitment to driving industrial development across Africa through large-scale investments.