Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has said he plans to list Dangote Fertiliser Ltd on the stock exchange as early as next year, bringing forward the expected listing from the previously projected 2028 timeline.

Dangote disclosed this on Tuesday during an investors’ meeting at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, where he outlined the group’s expansion plans ahead of the proposed groundbreaking of its 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya.

The revised timeline comes as Dangote Fertiliser expands its production capacity and seeks to strengthen its position in the global fertiliser market.

Dangote said he wants the fertiliser business to have wider public ownership, similar to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s initial public offering in Lagos earlier this month, which he described as an “IPO of the people.”

He said the fertiliser company could be listed on the stock exchange sometime next year.

“Sometime next year we hope to list it. Let it be owned by the people,” Dangote said.

The fertiliser business is also expanding its production capacity, with six new production lines expected to be delivered between late 2028 and early 2029.

The expansion is expected to raise the company’s annual production capacity to 12 million metric tonnes.

The proposed listing would bring Dangote’s fertiliser business to the stock market earlier than the 2028 timeline he previously announced.

The move forms part of Dangote’s broader plans to expand the fertiliser business by increasing production capacity and developing additional sources of supply.

The revised timeline comes about a week after Dangote told the Qatar Economic Forum that the business planned to pursue an initial public offering in 2028 as it expands its operations and seeks to become the world’s largest fertiliser company.

His latest comments therefore represent a shift from the timeline announced at the forum.