DODOMA, Aug 10 – Tanzania is seeking new investments from Dangote Group in fertiliser production, energy and infrastructure as government officials advance discussions with the Nigerian conglomerate following high-level talks between President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Aliko Dangote.
A Tanzanian government delegation recently visited Dangote’s refinery and petrochemical complex in Lagos as part of efforts to follow up on potential projects discussed with the Tanzanian president. Kitila Mkumbo, Tanzania’s Minister of State responsible for Planning and Investment, said the delegation’s visit was intended to advance those discussions.
“We have come here to make a follow-up on what they deliberated with our president in terms of further Dangote investments in Tanzania,” Mkumbo said.
The Tanzanian government is particularly interested in attracting Dangote investments into fertiliser manufacturing and energy, although discussions have extended to several other infrastructure projects.
Potential investments identified by Dangote Group include a 2,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant, a urea fertiliser facility, port development and a 40-kilometre concrete access road. The two sides have also discussed establishing a special trade zone and improving transport infrastructure between Mtwara on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast and Mbamba Bay on Lake Malawi.
No final investment values or construction schedules have been announced for the proposed projects, leaving the scale and timing of any eventual commitments subject to further negotiations.
The renewed engagement comes as Dangote Group continues to explore opportunities beyond Nigeria and expand its industrial footprint across Africa. Tanzania is seeking to attract investment that can strengthen domestic manufacturing, energy supply and trade infrastructure while supporting broader economic development.
The discussions also follow Tanzania’s earlier involvement in plans for a regional oil refinery in East Africa. Dangote had previously considered Tanzania as a potential location for the project amid discussions among regional governments over a refinery at the port of Tanga.
In April, Kenyan President William Ruto said Kenya, Tanzania and other countries in the region were discussing a joint refinery at Tanga capable of processing crude from producers including Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dangote had offered to develop the facility, drawing on its experience with the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lagos.
Dangote Industries subsequently shifted its preferred location towards Kenya. The company said in June that commercial and technical considerations had influenced its decision to pursue the planned refinery in Lamu, while also inviting Tanzania to participate in the project.
The proposed Lamu refinery is expected to have a processing capacity of about 700,000 barrels of crude per day and could take up to three years to construct. Dangote Group plans to finance the development through a combination of internally generated funds, bond financing and proceeds from a planned listing of its Nigerian refinery.
For Tanzania, attracting further Dangote investment would potentially strengthen the country’s industrial and energy infrastructure while creating links between domestic production, regional trade and export markets. For Dangote Group, the projects would extend the conglomerate’s growing presence in East Africa and deepen its participation in the region’s energy, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.
The next phase of discussions will determine whether the projects identified by both sides progress from preliminary investment proposals into formal commitments, including financing arrangements, construction schedules and final project locations.
