Dangote: Nigeria Is No Longer a Major Cement Importer.We Reversed It

At the Gates Foundation’s 2025 Goalkeepers event held in Lagos, business magnate Aliko Dangote announced that Nigeria has transitioned from being the world’s second-largest importer of cement to becoming the continent’s leading exporter of the commodity.

A decade ago, Nigeria could not make enough cement for its own buildings. We depended on foreign imports, and that cost a lot of money. Now, Dangote Cement has two factories, one in Obajana (Kogi State) and another in Ibese (Ogun State). Together, they produce over 50 million tonnes of cement each year.

Since our own builders use much less than that, the extra cement goes to Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon. “We have closed the chapter on cement imports,” Dangote said. “Our plants now serve regional demand.”

These factories keep costs low in two main ways. First, they use local raw materials. Second, they run modern machines. In 2023, a stable exchange rate made it cheaper to buy local inputs. Meanwhile, the government spent money on new roads and housing. That meant there was always a market for our cement until export channels were fully ready.

Fertiliser and Petrochemicals Success
Dangote also highlighted progress in fertiliser. In the past, Nigeria relied on foreign fertiliser. Today, we run the world’s second-largest fertiliser plant. About 37 per cent of its output goes to the United States. This success came from using local materials, upgrading technology, and training workers. By doing these things, Nigeria quickly gained respect in global markets and made money from exports.

In petrochemicals, Nigeria used to import around 350,000 tonnes of polypropylene each year. Now, local plants meet our own needs and export 600,000 tonnes to other African countries. These processing lines started to cut imports, but now bring in export revenue.

A key example is the Dangote oil refinery in Lekki. This $19 billion plant can process 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day. That beats the old record of 430,000 barrels a day set by Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq refinery. In May 2025 alone, Nigeria exported 400,000 tonnes of petrol (PMS), ending our full reliance on imported fuel. “Exporting 400,000 tonnes in one month shows we can compete globally,” Dangote said.

Economic and Social Impact
These wins also help Nigeria’s economy. Selling cement, petrochemicals, and fuel brings in foreign money. That helps keep our currency, the naira, stable. New factories and exports create jobs too. Factory workers, truck drivers, and shop owners all earn steady wages.

As incomes rise, other sectors like construction, farming, and transport benefit. The effects spread across the economy.

Dangote urged that we use the same model for health care. He pointed to past work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on ending polio and fighting malnutrition. He said Nigeria could cut down on people travelling abroad for health care by making medicines and medical equipment here.

“Just as we built cement, fertiliser, and petrochemicals industries, we can build pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries for Africa and beyond,” he said. This would meet our own health needs and make Nigeria a hub for affordable medicine in the region.

Government Reactions and Future Challenges
Government officials praised Dangote’s speech. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, said the cement success shows what can happen when government and businesses work together. “Heading in cement exports proves that good policies and strong partnerships drive national growth,” Tijani said.

Critics, however, warn that we must keep improving roads, power supply, and regulations. Any hiccup in electricity or transport could slow production and hurt export growth. Dangote agreed but said he and other leaders are already working on these issues.

He noted plans to fix power problems and enhance road and rail networks. “With collective effort, Nigeria will stay at the forefront of industrial exports,” he said.

Nigeria’s Path Forward
As Nigeria celebrates becoming Africa’s top cement exporter, the country stands at an important crossroads. By building factories at home, we have stopped relying on imports and created a clear plan for wider economic change.

The next step is to repeat these successes in other industries. If we do, “Made in Nigeria” will mean quality and reliability across Africa and the world.