Addis Ababa, September 24, 2026 (FMC) — President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote has foreseen Ethiopia’s transition from dependence on imported industrial inputs toward greater self-reliance and export capacity, signaling continued interest in expanding the group’s investment footprint in the country.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ethiopia-Djibouti petroleum products infrastructure project, Dangote singled out Ethiopia as one of the countries where Dangote Group is putting substantial investment, citing the country’s economic importance and expanding demand across energy, transport, logistics, construction and industry.
He said the group’s growing presence in Ethiopia reflects its broader commitment to supporting African countries in building domestic productive capacity and reducing reliance on imports, particularly where countries possess the resources, markets and strategic conditions to produce for themselves.
Most significantly, Dangote projected that Ethiopia would become a fertilizer-exporting country beginning in 2029, marking what he described as part of the continent’s wider shift from dependence toward self-reliance and productive capacity.
He also indicated that Dangote Group remains interested in identifying further opportunities in Ethiopia, pointing to the country’s expanding industrial and economic potential.
Dangote said the group’s cement business currently has a production capacity of about 55 million tonnes and is expected to reach 100 million tonnes within roughly four years. Operating across 11 African countries, the group, he noted, is continuing to direct significant capital toward markets where industrial demand and opportunities for local production are expanding.
He placed Ethiopia within this broader continental transformation, arguing that African industrial companies have an important role to play in building the continent’s productive capacity because they understand its markets, operating environments, challenges and opportunities.
The Dangote Group chief also cited the company’s expansion in fertilizer production and the development of the Dangote refinery in Nigeria as examples of investments aimed at enabling African economies to produce more of the goods they have traditionally imported.
Against this backdrop, he described the Ethiopia-Djibouti corridor as an important economic artery for Ethiopia, particularly for the movement of petroleum products and other essential inputs. The infrastructure project, comprising a 120-kilometre pipeline and a combined 400-million-litre storage facility, is intended to strengthen the reliability and efficiency of petroleum supply while reducing pressure on road transport.
Dangote said infrastructure of this nature is essential to Africa’s transition “from potential to production” and “from dependence to self-reliance,” emphasizing the need for modern ports, roads, railways, pipelines, power systems and logistics networks to support industrialization.
He further said the group’s long-term objective is to contribute to Africa’s industrial transformation and help countries become self-sufficient in products where they have the raw materials, market demand and strategic need to produce domestically.
Dangote said the group has set a target of investing 50 billion US dollars across Africa by 2030, while emphasizing the growing role of African financial institutions in financing the continent’s development.
He cited the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Finance Corporation as examples of institutions helping to mobilize African capital for major projects, and urged governments to continue strengthening domestic financial institutions and enabling them to support large-scale investment.
He stressed that Africa’s industrial transformation would require patience, discipline, high engineering standards, effective regulatory coordination, transparent governance and sound environmental and social management.