President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled an ambitious plan to achieve fertilizer self-sufficiency across Africa within 40 months.

The initiative aims to strengthen the continent’s agricultural productivity and cut dependence on imports.

Speaking at the Annual Afreximbank Meeting in Abuja, Dangote confidently declared, “In the next 40 months, Africa will not import fertilizer from anywhere.”

The Dangote Group’s $2.5 billion fertilizer plant, situated in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos, is designed to produce 3 million metric tons of urea annually.

The project is expected to meet Africa’s fertilizer demand while generating substantial export revenue.

Dangote disclosed that the company is aiming to generate $7 million in daily revenue from fertilizer sales within the next two years.

Reaching self-sufficiency in fertilizer production is expected to greatly enhance Africa’s economy and strengthen food security by supporting higher agricultural yields and reducing reliance on imports.

According to Dangote, the plant’s production capacity will help close the fertilizer demand gap in Nigeria, which currently stands at 5 to 7 million metric tons annually.

He also called on African leaders and stakeholders to embrace a bold “Africa First” economic policy—one that prioritizes local investment, drives industrialization, and promotes sustainable development across the continent.

“When we encourage domestic investors and they succeed, it will motivate foreign investors to come to Africa,” he said, arguing for a shift in mindset and policy direction.