Dangote Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex set for commissioning tomorrow. Aremu says it’s standing out as Africa’s leading Industrializer
By Eberechi Obinagwam,
The director general of Micheal Imoudu National Institute for labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu, has said that the new $2.5 Billion Dangote Fertiliser Limited has once again stands Aliko group out as Africa’s leading industrializer and largest employer of labour.
Aremu stated this in a congratulatory message towards the commissioning of Africa’s largest Dangote Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex Limited that will hold on Tuesday, at Lekki Lagos by President Muhammadu Buhari
He commended Dangote for creating additional 5000 construction direct and indirect jobs as well as saving on $125 million in fertilizer import substitution for Nigeria.
He also observed that with the expected largest Petroleum Refinery, 650,000 barrels-per-day, (more than enough to meet Nigeria’s petrol needs and for export)
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“ Aliko Dangote has long changed the narrative of Nigeria and Africa from pessimism of exporter of raw materials, importers of finished products to that of manufacturing, value addition and mass job creation” .
According to him, “ Aliko Dangote is often reported as the richest man in Africa. But what is even more significant is that he is a lead- industrializer, lead employer of labour, based on value adding manufacturing activities ranging from production of cement, sugar and flour and now to fertilizer and petroleum products, among others”.
Aremu praised the collaboration between the Federal, Lagos state governments and Aliko group which he said “facilitated the conception and completion of the new plant” adding “that the historic event would accelerate the implementation of Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan as contained in the new National Development Plan recently unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Aremu said as Nigeria prepares for 2023 general elections, it was time for all stakeholders in Nigeria’s project for what he called “new Partnership for Development, Diversification and Mass Employment” .
“We should build on the strengths of Nigeria’s raw materials, large market and abundant human resources and minimize the weaknesses of policy inconsistency and weak Infrastructure to grow the non- oil extractive sector. In this respect we must commend the investment patriotism and pan African orientation of the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group of industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote in changing the narrative of Africa from that of ‘resource curse’ to resource beneficiation. It is an open knowledge that Dangote group is a leading “Doing Group” in Africa” he wrote.
Dangote Fertiliser Plant is Africa’s largest Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex.
The plant occupies 500 hectares of land in Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos Nigeria.
It was built at a cost of $2.5 Billion. With Nigeria estimated to need about 5 to 7 million metric tonnes per annum of fertiliser and with the current level of fertiliser consumption in the country which is 1.5 million metric tonnes, Dangote Fertiliser complex was established to produce 3 million metric tonnes per annum of urea fertiliser in phase 1.
