President Muhammadu Buhari has on Tuesday inaugurated the three million metric tonnes Dangote Fertiliser Plant in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos state.
Constructed at the cost of $2.5 billion, the fertiliser complex is built on a 500 hectare expanse at Lekki Free Trade Zone in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos and ranks as Africa’s largest granulated fertiliser complex.
The plant, one of the latest bets of Africa’s wealthiest man Aliko Dangote, is situated in the same area where his 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery is being constructed.
“This is a demonstration of enhancing the socio-development of the country,” Buhari said, while also commending the Dangote Fertiliser team.
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He inaugurated the multi-billion dollar facility on Tuesday at an event well attended by many political, traditional, and religious leaders, as well as key members of the private sector from various parts of the country.
They include the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi; as well as members of the forum including Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa).
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Mrs Amina Mohammed; the Vice-Chairman of Channels Media Group, Mrs Olusola Momoh; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; as well as former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, were among the dignitaries present at the event.
President Buhari inaugurated the facility as part of activities lined up for his working visit to Lagos. He was also billed to inaugurate the newly built terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, as well as inspect the ongoing construction at the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The plant is expected to help Nigeria retain $125 million in import substitution and provide $625 million from exports of products from the fertiliser plant.
While Nigeria is estimated to need about five to seven million metric tonnes of fertiliser per annum amid its current level of fertiliser consumption which is 1.5 million metric tonnes, the Dangote fertiliser complex was established to produce three million metric tonnes of urea fertiliser per annum in its first phase.
In the course of its construction, the complex is said to have provided about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in all categories, an additional 5,000 jobs within the community, as well as created 500 permanent jobs.
