Thursday, March 5, 2026

Nigeria and Ethiopia listed among countries to benefit from Dangote’s $1 billion plan

Dangote Cement, controlled by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, currently boasts an estimated production capacity of 55.17 million tons.

With the $1 billion investment, the cement manufacturer, in the span of four years, intends to boost production capacity by 45% to 80 million tons.

This information was disclosed by the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Gbenga Fapohunda, on Wednesday, during an investor conference call in the country’s commercial hub, Lagos.

He noted that the fund would be channeled in “Nigeria, Ethiopia, and some other countries.”

In February, the company disclosed that it had signed a $1 billion agreement with China’s Sinoma International Engineering to construct new plants and expand existing facilities across Africa.

The landmark deal, signed in Lagos, covers 12 projects across seven African countries and is part of DCP’s plan to raise production capacity to 80 million tonnes per annum by 2030.

This new initiative follows a similar plan established by Dangote to increase exports of cement and clinker to 10 million tons by 2030, in contrast to 1.4 million tons in 2025.

Dangote Cement recently reported an 18.6 per cent rise in cement and clinker exports from Nigeria, dispatching 34 shiploads of clinker to Cameroon and Ghana during the year.

As seen on Bloomberg, the company’s CFO noted that the expansion plan would be financed with operating cash flow, supplier credit, commercial papers, bonds, and bank loans.

This initiative had earlier been spoken about by the company's Group Managing Director, Arvind Pathak, who noted that the cement company would continue to commission new capacity and advance projects across several African markets.

“We are confident in our growth trajectory and our ability to capitalise on Africa’s robust cement demand fundamentals,” Mr Pathak said in an earnings release filed with the Nigerian Exchange.

“We will continue commissioning new capacity, including the transformational 6 metric tonne per annum (Mta) Itori plant, while advancing expansion projects in Ethiopia, Cameroon, South Africa, Zambia, and Senegal.”

A few days back, Dangote Cement reported its highest profit on record.


Dangote Cement's recent milestones

The company disclosed that net profit for 2025 increased to N1 trillion, or almost $730 million at an exchange rate of N1,369.06 to $1, more than doubling the previous year's performance.

Revenue increased by 20.3% to N4.3 trillion, or nearly $3.14 billion, thanks mostly to stronger pricing and solid domestic demand.

The record earnings come despite a minor drop in sales volumes, highlighting the group's pivot toward margin protection, cost efficiency, and export growth as it positions Nigeria as a regional manufacturing hub.

In February 2026, Dangote Cement Plc became the first company to list Commercial Papers (CPs) on Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

The listing follows the opening of a Commercial Paper window by NGX on December 3, 2025, after gaining approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dangote Cement's Series 1 and Series 2 Commercial Papers were admitted to its N500 billion Commercial Paper Issuance Programme.

The 181-day Series 1 CP for N19.95 billion will mature on May 20, 2026. The N99.92 billion Series 2 CP has a tenor of 265 days and will mature on August 12, 2026.

Both instruments were issued at a discount and will be repaid at their par value of N1,000 upon maturity. Series 1 and Series 2 provided indicated yields of 17.50% and 19%, respectively.

In October last year, the cement company commissioned a $160 million plant in Attingué, about 30 kilometres north of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s commercial hub.

The 50-hectare facility can produce three million metric tonnes per year, making it one of the company's largest sites outside Nigeria.

By Chinedu Okafor, Business Insider Africa

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