Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has said that he was “comfortable” with the impact of former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on his urea exports to the United States.
- Aliko Dangote is comfortable with the impact of Trump’s tariffs on his urea exports to the US.
- Dangote’s $2.5 billion plant in Nigeria is the largest granulated urea fertiliser complex in Africa.
- Algeria, a major rival, was hit with a higher 30% tariff on urea exports to the US.
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has said that he was “comfortable” with the impact of former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on his urea exports to the United States, pointing out that a major rival, Algeria, had been hit with an even steeper levy.
Trump had imposed a 14% tariff on imports from Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil exporter, as part of sweeping trade measures introduced last month.
Although the tariff has since been temporarily paused for 90 days, its initial announcement had raised questions about Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global market.
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Africa’s largest urea production facility
Dangote, Africa’s richest man, said he initially feared the tariff could hurt exports from Dangote Fertiliser, which began commercial operations in 2022, according to Reuters.
The $2.5 billion plant, located on 500 hectares of land in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, is the largest granulated urea fertiliser complex in Africa with a production capacity of 3 million metric tonnes annually.
According to Dangote, roughly 37% of the company’s urea output is shipped to the United States, making the U.S. a key market. However, his concerns eased when he discovered Algeria, another major urea exporter, had been slapped with a higher 30% tariff.
“But when I checked who we are really competing with, we are competing with Algeria. So luckily for us Algeria were slapped with 30%,” said Dangote. “So it actually makes us a bit comfortable.”
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Dangote exports urea from his plant to several key markets, including Brazil, which traditionally depends heavily on Russian fertilizer imports, as well as India, and Mexico.
Beyond fertiliser, Dangote is also behind Africa’s largest oil refinery, which started operations in early 2024 after years of delay. With a refining capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the $20 billion project has reduced Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products.
Dangote said he expects total revenues for the Dangote Group, which spans cement, sugar, fertiliser, and energy, to exceed $30 billion in 2026, up from a projected $25 billion in 2025, driven by the ramp-up in operations across its industrial portfolio.
