ADDIS ABABA, May 17 – Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited has increased investment in Ethiopia’s planned Gode fertilizer complex to more than $4 billion from an earlier $2.5 billion commitment, expanding one of the country’s biggest industrial agriculture projects.
The project, being developed in partnership with the government of Ethiopia, is expected to produce three million metric tons of urea annually and forms part of the country’s broader push to strengthen agricultural self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on fertilizer imports.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said construction activities are progressing steadily across multiple sections of the site in Gode following a recent visit with Dangote.
“This initiative represents far more than infrastructure,” Abiy said in a statement published on X. “It is a strategic investment in Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation, food security, industrial growth and economic self-reliance.”
According to the Ethiopian government, the shareholders’ agreement for the project was signed in August last year, while construction officially began in October 2025.
The increase in investment from the originally announced $2.5 billion reflects the addition of major supporting infrastructure tied to the project.
Expanded plans now include a 110-kilometer pipeline, a 120-megawatt power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility and a two-million-ton NPK blending plant.
The fertilizer complex is expected to become a critical component of Ethiopia’s agricultural strategy by strengthening domestic fertilizer production and stabilizing supply chains in a country where agriculture remains central to economic activity and employment.
The project is also expected to reduce pressure on Ethiopia’s foreign exchange reserves by lowering dependence on imported fertilizer products.
Abiy said the facility would support millions of farmers, improve agricultural productivity and create new employment and investment opportunities across the country.
The Gode project further expands Dangote Group’s footprint in Africa’s industrial and fertilizer sectors, where the conglomerate has increasingly positioned itself as a major supplier of agricultural inputs across the continent.
Once completed, the plant is expected to rank among Africa’s largest fertilizer production facilities and serve as a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s long-term industrialization and food security ambitions.
