Africa’s Business Titan Aliko Dangote Hails PM Abiy’s Leadership, Says Africa Needs More Leaders Like Him

Addis Ababa, October 1, 2026 (FMC) — Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has praised Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s leadership and Ethiopia’s development efforts, saying he hopes Africa will have more leaders like the Ethiopian premier.

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, on Wednesday, Dangote offered a personal tribute to Prime Minister Abiy, whom he described as “my brother, but from a different mother.”

“I think most times I always dream of him. The great jobs that he is doing in Ethiopia, I pray we’ll have a lot of leaders like you,” Dangote said.

Dangote’s remarks come as his business group continues to deepen its engagement in Ethiopia through major investments spanning manufacturing, agriculture and energy-related infrastructure.

The group is developing the Gode Urea Fertilizer Plant in Ethiopia’s Somali region in partnership with Ethiopian Investment Holdings. The large-scale project is designed to produce three million metric tons of urea annually, with construction having begun in October 2025. Prime Minister Abiy and Dangote visited the project site in May to assess its progress.

Dangote Group raised its planned investment in the fertilizer project to more than $4 billion in May 2026, from the previously announced $2.5 billion, further expanding the scale of its engagement in Ethiopia.

The Gode project is intended to strengthen domestic fertilizer production, support agricultural productivity and food security, expand industrial capacity and reduce Ethiopia’s dependence on imported agricultural inputs.

Dangote Group is also involved in Ethiopia’s petroleum logistics infrastructure. Last month, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Dangote announced a major refined petroleum products pipeline project linking Damerjog in Djibouti with Dewele in Ethiopia, adding an energy-connectivity dimension to the group’s growing presence in the country.

At the Lamu ceremony, Dangote’s tribute to Prime Minister Abiy came as he unveiled plans to deliver the $16 billion East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals complex within 40 months. The 700,000-barrel-per-day facility is intended to supply petroleum products to markets across East Africa and strengthen the region’s energy security and industrial capacity.

Prime Minister Abiy, speaking at the ceremony, said the Lamu refinery could provide Ethiopia with an additional regional source of refined petroleum, broadening the country’s supply options while creating new opportunities for trade and investment. He also highlighted Dangote’s experience in developing large-scale African industrial enterprises, including in cement, fertilizer and refining.

Dangote’s growing investments in Ethiopia and the regional refinery project thus place his remarks about Prime Minister Abiy within a broader business relationship increasingly linked to Africa’s industrial production, agricultural transformation, energy security and regional economic integration.