By Mahdi Waziri Isa
Renowned Law Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan has explained how Dangote Industries Ltd is bailing out African states by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework on trade in goods and investment, with focus on refined oil, urea fertilizer and cement.
“Dangote Industries is actively mitigating supply shortages across Africa by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework to export refined fuel, urea fertilizer, and cement, effectively acting as a regional industrial supplier to cushion against global supply shocks,” Prof. Ladan said.
He noted that recent data as of April 2026 indicates that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has scaled up to full capacity, exporting 17 cargoes of gasoline to West, Central, and East Africa to combat shortages and high import costs.
“The 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery has transitioned from testing to full operational capacity, becoming a major regional energy stabilizer,” he explained. “In early 2026, the refinery exported over 456,000 tonnes of fuel (diesel, jet fuel, gasoline) in 17 cargoes to African nations, including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana, and Togo. These shipments help reduce West Africa’s reliance on distant European fuel imports and provide a closer, cheaper alternative amid global supply constraints (linked to geopolitical tensions). The refinery has dramatically reduced Nigeria’s reliance on imported petrol, aimed at saving Nigeria up to $10 billion in foreign exchange annually and lowering transport costs for neighbouring states.”
On agriculture and food security, Prof. Ladan stated: “Dangote Fertilizer Ltd, the largest granulated-urea plant in Africa, is restructuring its exports to prioritize African agricultural markets over traditional customers in South America. The plant, which has a 3 million metric ton annual capacity, redirected shipments to African countries facing shortages, increasing urea supply to domestic West African markets. The group is planning to more than double fertilizer output to 12 million tonnes by 2028 to make Africa self-sufficient in fertilizer. By supplying urea locally, Dangote helps reduce the high import costs of fertilizer, aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and easing food security issues across the continent.”
Addressing infrastructure development, he said: “Under the AfCFTA framework, Dangote Cement has expanded its presence to enhance regional infrastructure. Dangote Cement operates in more than ten African countries (including Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Cameroon, and Congo) with a combined capacity of over 50 million tonnes. New plants are being commissioned in Niger, Benin, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. The group is leveraging the AfCFTA to ‘build Africa,’ replacing imports with locally manufactured cement in the Ivory Coast and other nations, thus lowering construction costs.”
Prof. Ladan explained how the company is using AfCFTA to overcome traditional trade barriers. “The company is expanding cement and fertilizer manufacturing locally in target countries (e.g., Ghana, Ethiopia), supporting the ‘One District, One Factory’ policy in Ghana and similar initiatives elsewhere,” he said. “The refinery is seeking more naira-priced crude to reduce fuel costs, aligning with the goal of strengthening intra-African trade and reducing reliance on foreign exchange. Dangote is moving from exporting raw materials to exporting finished products, aligning with the goal of industrialization under the African Continental Free Trade Area.”