Over 90,000 individuals are anticipated to be working on the Dangote group’s petroleum refinery and petrochemicals and fertiliser operations in Lagos subsequent yr, President and Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has mentioned.
Dangote, who disclosed this in an interview, defined that the determine displays the group’s accelerating investments to create jobs, strengthen industrial manufacturing and rework agriculture throughout Africa.
He additionally disclosed plans to determine 20 fertiliser mixing crops in strategic places throughout the continent to enhance farmers’ entry to important inputs and help year-round provide.
The initiatives, he mentioned, kind a part of an investment programme that would attain $65 billion over 4 years, spanning refining, fertiliser, petrochemicals, energy, pipelines and different companies.
“The refinery expansion is huge. By next year, we expect to have almost 90,000 people working on the refinery and fertiliser projects in Lagos,” he added.
According to him, creating alternatives for Africa’s youthful inhabitants was a central motivation for the group’s growth, stressing that the continent wanted extra factories and better home manufacturing to fulfill its rising wants.
“My biggest concern is job creation in Africa. We have a very youthful population, and we are not creating enough jobs. We must push harder to create opportunities and keep our young people productively engaged,” he mentioned.
He hinted that the refinery growth will add one other 700,000 barrels per day of processing capability, taking the deliberate whole to about 1.4 million barrels per day, alongside extra petrochemical services and infrastructure.
He outlined a fertiliser growth programme designed to assist flip Africa’s agricultural potential into better manufacturing, extra dependable meals provides and financial alternatives.
“We also plan to establish 20 blending plants in strategic locations across Africa. We intend to begin mining potash and phosphate in Congo-Brazzaville very soon,” he mentioned.
He disclosed that the group was working in direction of 9 million tonnes of urea capability, with plans for 1.2 million tonnes of diammonium phosphate, DAP, and a million tonnes of NPK mixing capability in Lagos. Dangote mentioned the target was to make sure that farmers in nations internet hosting the group’s operations, in addition to neighbouring markets, may get hold of fertiliser when wanted, with out the uncertainty related to prolonged import and supply processes.
“What we want is for the countries where we operate, and their neighbours, to have fertiliser available 365 days a year. Farmers should be able to buy it when they need it, without worrying about supply,” he mentioned.
He defined that fertiliser imports needed to cross via Djibouti earlier than being transported inland, creating logistical challenges that would go away provides arriving after the planting season. “With local production, the fertiliser will be available there. We will also have one million tonnes of NPK capacity attached to the project,” he mentioned.
Dangote tied the programme to his dedication that Africa ought to construct the capability to fulfill its personal agricultural enter necessities, fairly than stay weak to disruptions in worldwide markets. “At the beginning of the Russia–Ukraine crisis, the African Union went to Russia to plead for fertiliser. I said then that, within four years, Africa should never again have to go anywhere to beg for fertiliser,” he mentioned.
He expressed confidence that ample entry to gasoline would allow a a lot bigger growth in fertiliser manufacturing. “If Africa needs 30 million tonnes and we can secure enough gas, we can produce and supply it,” he mentioned, including, “Africa has an enormous agricultural advantage. We must lead the effort to turn that opportunity into a major agricultural transformation.”
The group’s wider investment programme contains an preliminary ambition to develop 10,000 megawatts of energy with some African nations and improve cement capability to 100 million tonnes.
Dangote mentioned dependable electrical energy was important to industrial development, enabling African nations to course of their uncooked supplies, retain extra worth inside their economies and create alternatives for his or her individuals.
He disclosed that roughly $50 billion of the deliberate investment would go into present companies, whereas one other $15 billion can be directed in direction of new ventures, together with initiatives but to be introduced. The programme can be financed via a mix of free money stream, internally generated fairness and debt, he mentioned.
Dangote urged African traders to take the lead in growing the continent, arguing that substantial home investment would encourage worldwide capital to observe.
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