When Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, broke ground for a $2.5 billion fertiliser plant in Gode, Ethiopia, it wasn’t just another business announcement — it was a statement about the continent’s growing ambition to feed itself and industrialise from within. For years, Africa has been defined by its dependence on imports for essentials like fertiliser, cement, and refined petroleum. But this new project — one of the world’s largest fertiliser complexes — signals a dramatic pivot: Africa is no longer waiting for external intervention; it is engineering its own industrial revolution.
The Gode fertiliser plant, a joint venture between Dangote Group and Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), is expected to produce three million metric tonnes of urea annually, tapping into natural gas reserves from Ethiopia’s Hilal and Calub fields. The project, which will create thousands of jobs and boost regional trade, positions Ethiopia as the emerging fertiliser hub of the Horn of Africa.
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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called the project “a symbol of shared responsibility, cooperation, and peace,” noting that it embodies Ethiopia’s broader reform agenda. “By harnessing opportunities together, we elevate Ethiopia’s presence on the global stage in a way that honours our identity and strengthens unity,” Abiy said.
For Dangote, the project is not only industrial, it’s transformational. “This partnership with Ethiopian Investment Holdings represents a pivotal moment in our shared vision to industrialise Africa and achieve food security across the continent,” he said. “Within five years, Ethiopia could become Africa’s leading agricultural nation.”
Africa’s fertiliser deficit has long hindered its agricultural productivity. The continent consumes around 20 million tonnes of fertiliser annually, yet produces less than half of that. The Gode facility is therefore not just an economic investment; it’s a food security intervention.
Ethiopia, with its 120 million-strong population and vast arable land, is already a key player in regional agriculture. By adding value locally, converting natural gas into urea, ammonium nitrate, and other fertiliser products, the country is moving up the value chain. Dangote’s vision aligns perfectly with this shift. As he explained, “We’ve seen what’s possible in Nigeria — we moved from import dependence to becoming exporters of cement, fertiliser, and petroleum. Africa can and must replicate that success.”
A Symbol of Africa-to-Africa Investment
The Gode project is particularly historic because it’s the first industrial complex of such scale built by a private African investor in partnership with an African government. For decades, African mega-projects were financed and built by non-African firms. This shift, a Nigerian conglomerate investing in Ethiopian heavy industry, marks a continental awakening.
“This is the first time a private African investor is partnering with an African country to build such an industrial complex,” Dangote emphasised. “We understand Africa, its challenges, opportunities, and potential. And we believe only Africans can truly transform Africa.”
Mustafa Omar, President of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, described Dangote as “the anchor investor Ethiopia has been looking for,” while Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, called the project “a gigantic step befitting of Dangote’s vision and execution capacity,” adding that it “cements the bond between two of Africa’s most influential nations.”
The Nigeria–Ethiopia partnership carries deep historical weight. The two nations have enjoyed six decades of diplomatic ties since 1964, collaborating in peacekeeping, trade, and regional security. In recent years, bilateral relations have strengthened with visa waivers, defence agreements, and economic cooperation pacts.
By choosing Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation and the headquarters of the African Union, also signals the continent’s shifting industrial gravity. Ethiopia’s investments in infrastructure, particularly through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), have positioned it as a model for African-led development. Dangote praised these reforms, describing Ethiopia as “one of Africa’s most attractive destinations for global investors.”
The fertiliser plant has implications that stretch beyond Ethiopia. With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, food security is the cornerstone of economic stability. By producing fertiliser locally, Africa reduces its exposure to global supply shocks, a lesson underscored by the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which disrupted fertiliser exports and sent prices soaring across the continent.
The plant also underscores Africa’s pivot toward self-reliance and sustainability. By leveraging its natural resources to meet local demand, the continent can begin reversing the decades-long narrative of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods.
Beyond economics, the Gode project demonstrates a new philosophy of Pan-Africanism in action, one built not on politics but on industrial collaboration and shared prosperity. As Dangote put it, “Our mission is to lead Africa’s industrial transformation. We’ve shown what’s possible in Nigeria; now we’re bringing that success to the rest of the continent.”
The project enjoys support from leading African financial institutions, including Afreximbank, Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank, First Bank, and Zenith Bank, a sign of growing confidence in large-scale, Africa-backed industrial projects. This model, Pan-African capital financing Pan-African growth, could redefine how development is funded on the continent.
Economists suggest the ripple effects will extend to logistics, manufacturing, and regional trade. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) stands to benefit as nations like Ethiopia begin exporting fertiliser and related products within Africa, strengthening intra-continental value chains.
The Gode fertiliser plant is more than just a facility; it’s a manifesto for African self-determination. It captures the spirit of a continent ready to define its future through enterprise, innovation, and cooperation.
