?warns Port problems could sink ambitions

Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), and Africa?s richest man has announced ambitious plans to significantly expand Nigeria?s export operations, with fertiliser exports alone expected to generate up to $7 million in daily revenue.

Dangote, at the headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Lagos, described his export plan as a profitable operation never before seen in the country.

?In the next two years, we will be exporting about 16,000 tons of fertiliser,? he said. ?That?s about $6.5 million to $7 million revenue that will be coming into the country on a daily basis.?

Dangote Fertiliser is Africa?s largest granulated urea fertiliser complex, with an annual production capacity of 3 million metric tonnes, and has long supported Nigeria?s agricultural sector and reduced reliance on imported fertilisers.

But the industrialist is not stopping with fertiliser. He disclosed to Abubakar Dantsoho, the NPA director on Monday timely plans to expand exports of cement, coal, polypropylene, and various refinery products.

?We will soon be massively expanding our export operations. For some of you that have been to our cement factory in Itori, we?re already exporting cement out of Nigeria. We have a whole factory of six million tons for cement export,? he said, disclosing that his company will begin exporting coal in a couple of weeks.

The $20 billion refinery, now in operation, will also begin export of over 25 million tons of ?various products.? Among these, he said, includes up to 700,000 metric tons of polypropylene.

According to him, the scope of operations at the Lekki axis alone will include nearly 240 crude oil ships annually, each carrying a million barrels, alongside over 600 product vessels and multiple fertiliser shipments. ?Our fertiliser export will be almost eight cargos.?

?This is an operation that has never, ever been seen in the country,? he said. ?But our operations will sink if NPA doesn?t give us the services we need.?

However, he noted that the Authority requires increased government support to fund expansion projects. ?The [NPA] won?t be able to do these things with their own physical hands. They need equipment. They need more tugboats.?

Dangote promised to lobby for institutional support. ?We will also be putting in some few words in necessary quarters to make sure that NPA gets all the necessary assistance from the Federal Government,? he added.

On his part, Dantsoho pledged readiness to support Dangote Group?s growing shipping demands, as it is critical to deepen Nigeria?s marine and blue economy.

He revealed that port activities have already exceeded Dangote?s initial projections of 600 vessels per year having treated and operated over 57 vessels every month since October 1, 2024. ?That?s more than what was projected. The operations of Nigerian ports will definitely double in the next one or two years.?

According to him, renovations at Tin-Can and Apapa ports are expected to begin by the third quarter of the year, while approvals have been secured for new deep seaport projects in Ibom, Bakassi, Olokola, Ondo, and Badagry.

?These are new ports that the government is concerned about. Very soon we?ll begin to see that these ports will become reality,? he said. (BusinessDay)

Update news