The President of Dangote Industries Ltd. (DIL), Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has projected that the company will earn up to $7 million daily from fertilizer exports within two years, cementing its position as a major player in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.
The projection was disclosed in a statement by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) following Dangote’s courtesy visit to the authority’s headquarters in Lagos. According to the statement, fertilizer exports will reach 16,000 tons per day, translating to daily revenue between $6.5 million and $7 million. This volume of export is expected to significantly increase foreign currency inflow and strengthen Nigeria’s balance of trade.
Dangote emphasized that the fertilizer export drive is only one aspect of the group’s broader export ambitions. He said DIL is aggressively expanding exports across several commodities, including cement, coal, petroleum products, and polypropylene. The cement plant at Itori in Ogun State has already begun exporting, with six million tons earmarked for external markets. Coal exports are expected to begin in the coming weeks, while the massive Lekki refinery is poised to deliver 25 million tons of refined products for export.
“We will also be exporting about 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of polypropylene,” Dangote stated, expressing confidence in DIL’s growing export capacity. “When you are talking about export, we are going to be very big.”
With these expansions, Dangote Industries is positioning itself to become Nigeria’s single largest private contributor to foreign exchange earnings. He noted that as the company scales its activities, port operations across the country will experience a significant boom, likely doubling in the next two years.
The statement from NPA’s General Manager of Communication and Strategy, Okechukwu Onyemekara, revealed that Dangote is actively engaged in identifying operational bottlenecks at Nigerian ports and pledged to work closely with authorities to resolve them. He emphasized the need for more maritime equipment, including tugboats, to reduce congestion and enhance export efficiency.
The visit further highlighted the growing synergy between Dangote Industries and the Nigerian Ports Authority as they work to boost the Marine and Blue Economy. Dangote disclosed that operations at Lekki alone would involve nearly 240 crude oil vessels and over 600 product ships annually, making it a major hub of maritime activity.
Responding to Dangote’s remarks, NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, praised the group’s contributions and assured stakeholders of continued reforms. He noted that the “Naira for Crude” policy introduced in October 2024 has already delivered increased port activity, with over 57 vessels handled monthly, surpassing Dangote’s projected annual figures.
Dantsoho also announced that major port upgrades at Tin-Can and Apapa would commence in the third quarter of 2025. Additionally, five new deep seaports; Ibom, Bakassi, Olokola, Ondo, and Badagry—have received Federal Executive Council approval, a move expected to greatly expand Nigeria’s port capacity.
He revealed that 95 percent of cargoes processed through the National Single Window are now ready for integration into the Port Community System, which aims to create seamless inter-agency operations and improve overall port efficiency.
Dangote’s projections come at a time when Nigeria is seeking to strengthen non-oil exports and reduce reliance on crude oil as the primary source of foreign revenue. With fertilizer, petrochemicals, cement, and energy now in the mix, Dangote Industries could play a defining role in reshaping Nigeria’s export landscape.
