Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, has announced that his company will export approximately 16,000 tonnes of fertiliser daily within the next two years, generating between $6.5 million and $7 million in daily revenue for Nigeria.

The African billionaire made this disclosure during a courtesy visit to Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in Lagos.

"In the next two years, we will be exporting about 16,000 tonnes of fertiliser. When you talk about 16,000 tonnes of fertiliser, it's about $6.5m to $7m in revenue that will be coming into the country daily," Dangote stated.

He emphasized that through this export program, Dangote Group would become "the major supplier of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria," significantly boosting the country's foreign exchange reserves.

Expanding Export Portfolio

Beyond fertiliser, Dangote revealed plans to commence exportation of coal and polypropylene from the 650,000 barrels per day refinery within the next few weeks.

"In the next couple of weeks, we will start exporting coal out of Nigeria. The refinery operations will not export less than 25 million tonnes of various products," he said.

"We will also be exporting about 600,000 to 700,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene. So when you are talking about export, we are going to be very big," Dangote added.

NPA's Support for Dangote Operations

In his response, NPA Managing Director Dantsoho highlighted the agency's role in facilitating Dangote's operations, particularly since the commencement of the Naira-for-crude deal in October 2024.

"The projected volume that Dangote was looking at per annum was 600 vessels. If you do 56 or 57 vessels in 12 months, you will see that we are already doing bigger than what they projected," Dantsoho explained.

He emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration, stating, "We will continue to do our best with support from the government. If all agencies of government can collaborate and be on the same dashboard, then efficiencies in other sectors of the economy will also be witnessed."

This development comes as Nigeria seeks to diversify its export base and reduce dependence on crude oil exports. The Dangote Group's export initiatives are expected to play a crucial role in strengthening Nigeria's economy and improving its balance of trade.