Dangote Industries Shares Plan to End Importation of Cement, Petroleum, Agriculture

• Nigeria still has a negative balance of trade with many countries, with imports outweighing exports
• However, Dangote Industries has vowed to end this trend by increasing the production of several key items
• Dangote Industries has business interests across salt, sugar, cement, fuel, fertiliser and others, and has vowed to end imports

Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.

The journey to make Nigeria self-sufficient could experience a boost, as Dangote Industries Ltd has vowed to end importation in key areas of the economy where it operates.

The Dangote group has interests in cement production, agriculture, mining, food processing, and petroleum refining, and it has reaffirmed that the ultimate goal is to help Nigeria become self-sufficient in those areas.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, Regional Sales Director (Southeast) of Dangote Cement, Dr. Abayomi Shittu pledged the company’s commitment to see Nigeria grow.

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Shittu noted that Dangote Industries Limited also has operations in real estate, logistics, telecommunications, steel, oil and gas, poly products, sugar, salt and others, and that Dangote group firmly believes in Nigeria’s economic potential.

Shittu, who spoke at the ongoing 36th Enugu International Trade Fair, explained that the Dangote industries invest heavily in innovation and value creation in Nigeria.

Shittu pointed out the strong investment footprints across Nigeria, with three of the subsidiaries – Dangote Cement Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, and NASCON Allied Industries Plc (producers of Dangote Salt)— listed on the NGX.

Recall that the Dangote Refinery is nearly at full capacity and has provided sufficient petroleum products to prove itself a tough competition for fuel importers.

The company also recently exported almost 2 million barrels of jet fuel to the United States of America (USA), bringing a major boost to Nigeria's balance of trade.

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Dangote pledges job creation

Shittu noted that the company also has programmes that boost the local economy and provide jobs to Nigerians, like the Dangote Sugar Refinery’s out-grower scheme, which employs thousands of farmers in host communities.

He added that the Dangote Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser also provide training and employment for engineering and technology graduates in Nigeria.

Recall that the company recently made significant investments in Dangote Packaging Limited, getting high-end equipment to improve quality and quantity produced.

A recent Legit.ng analysis also showed that Dangote Cement massively grew its valuation from N2.98 trillion in 2021 to N8.1 trillion in March 2025.

This was despite the hundreds of billions of naira lost to FX fluctuations and naira depreciation since 2023.

Dangote explains Business challenges

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote Group, recently identified erratic power supply as the biggest challenge to industrialisation in Nigeria.

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Dangote said that operating a business abroad is 30% cheaper than doing so in Nigeria and other African nations.

Dangote added that his Ethiopia cement mill is the most profitable business in Dangote Industries due to the reliable power supply.

Source: Legit.ng