…Targets $7 Million Daily Revenue from Fertilizer Export

By Godwin Oritse

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) are partnering to accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s marine and blue economy, with a renewed focus on expanding the country’s export capacity.

During a courtesy visit to the NPA headquarters in Lagos on Monday, President of Dangote Industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, emphasized the significance of the collaboration, noting that DIL remains the NPA’s largest client.

“We are here to thank the NPA for the great job they are doing. Today, we are the largest customer of the NPA,” Dangote said. “Our engagement is important to deepen the marine and blue economy and support Nigeria’s export drive.”

Dangote revealed that operations at the company’s Lekki facility alone would involve about 240 crude oil shipments annually, with each vessel carrying one million barrels of crude. Additionally, more than 600 vessels per year are projected for product transportation, alongside eight fertilizer shipments — a scale never before seen in Nigeria, he said.

He stressed the need for enhanced port infrastructure to support this volume of traffic. “The NPA will need more support from the Federal Government to deliver the required services — from acquiring equipment to additional tugboats,” he noted, adding that DIL will advocate for the necessary federal support to ensure operational efficiency.

Highlighting DIL’s aggressive export expansion plans, Dangote stated:

“We have a cement factory with a six-million-ton export capacity. In a few weeks, we will begin coal exports. Our refinery will export up to 25 million tons of various products, and we’ll also export around 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of polypropylene.”

He noted that fertilizer exports alone could generate between $6.5 million and $7 million in daily revenue, positioning the Dangote Group as a major contributor to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.

“In the next two years, Nigerian port operations will more than double in volume,” Dangote projected.

NPA Managing Director/CEO, Mohammed Bello-Koko (represented by Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Abubakar Dantsoho), said Dangote’s visit was to show appreciation for the Naira-for-Crude policy coordinated by the NPA, which began on October 1, 2024.

“Since the policy began, over 57 vessels are being processed monthly, exceeding the projected annual volume of 600 vessels,” he said. “This has significantly improved operational efficiency across government agencies.”

Dantsoho commended the government’s approval of the National Single Window and said the Port Community System is now 95% ready — a major step toward digitizing and streamlining port operations.

On infrastructure development, Dantsoho disclosed plans to modernize existing ports such as Tin Can Island and Apapa (brownfield projects), with construction expected to commence in Q3 2025. He also highlighted greenfield deep seaport developments approved by the Federal Executive Council, including Ibom, Bakassi, Olokola, Ondo, and Badagry ports.

“These initiatives will significantly expand Nigeria’s port capacity and support our maritime ambitions,” he added.