By Ronald Adamolekun
Lagos – President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned Dangote Fertiliser Plant with a capacity of 3 million metric tonnes per annum in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.
The president inaugurated the $2.5 billion project in the presence of dignitaries including Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Industries Limited, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, and Minister of Trade and Investment Niyi Adebayo.
Speaking, Buhari said Dangote Group is the second-largest employer of labour in Nigeria, after the federal government.
He noted that the fertiliser company was already exporting its products to other countries, including the United States, Mexico, India and Brazil.
The president added that the contributions of Dangote Industries have further affirmed Nigeria’s leadership in Africa.
In his welcome address, President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said that the plant being commissioned is the largest granulated urea plant in Africa, and the second largest in the world.
The urea and ammonia fertiliser plant is the biggest of its kind in the world and, combined with a 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery standing within its vicinity, will cost Africa’s richest man $17.5 billion, Mr Emefiele said at the event.
The refinery is due for launch later this year.
Test run began at the facility in March 2020 in hope that production would commence later in the year. But not until the first quarter of 2021 did that happen on account of disruptions from the corona virus pandemic outbreak.(Nairametrics/vitalnews)
