Dangote Group is exploring potential investments in Egypt across refining, petrochemicals, fertiliser production and manufacturing as the Nigerian conglomerate seeks to expand its industrial footprint across Africa.
The development followed a visit by a high-level Egyptian delegation led by the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, to the Dangote Industries complex in Lagos.
The delegation, which included officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and executives from its oil and petrochemical industries, held discussions with Dangote Group executives on possible investment partnerships, industrial collaboration and capacity expansion.
Dangote Industries Limited President and Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote, described the engagement as an opportunity to advance African economic integration through cross-border industrial investments.
“This demonstrates true African integration. It reflects our belief that African businesses must invest across the continent to accelerate industrialisation and economic development,” Dangote said.
He said the visit provided an opportunity to showcase the Group’s industrial achievements and identify areas of cooperation that could strengthen industrial capacity in both countries.
Saleh said the Egyptian delegation was seeking to translate existing diplomatic and business engagements between Nigeria and Egypt into concrete investment opportunities.
He said Egypt was interested in understanding Dangote Group’s capabilities in refining, petrochemicals, fertiliser production and manufacturing to identify potential areas of collaboration.
“We are impressed by the scale of operations we have seen here, from refining and petrochemicals to fertiliser production. Our objective is to identify areas where Egyptian and Nigerian businesses can collaborate, expand industrial capacities and create long-term value for both economies,” Saleh said.
The minister stressed that private-sector participation would be central to strengthening economic relations between the two countries.
“The private sector must be at the centre of this partnership. By learning from each other’s experiences and combining our strengths, we can expand industrial production, encourage investment flows and create sustainable growth opportunities for our people,” he added.
Saleh said the combined market of approximately 400 million people in Nigeria and Egypt presented significant opportunities for industrial expansion, noting that Nigeria’s energy resources and Egypt’s established industrial base could support cooperation in manufacturing, energy, petrochemicals and fertiliser production.
He said stronger business ties could facilitate investment in both directions, create jobs, encourage technology transfer and promote skills development.
Asked whether Egypt would welcome investment in a Dangote refinery, Saleh said collaboration could extend beyond refining to several other sectors.
“It doesn’t have to be a refinery specifically. There are several sectors in which collaboration can happen. What is important is building a partnership that creates value for both countries and for Africa as a whole,” he said.
The discussions align with Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy to expand its industrial presence across Africa, strengthen regional value chains and promote the continent’s manufacturing capacity.
Potential areas of cooperation include fertiliser production, manufacturing, energy-related investments and industrial services, although the discussions have not yet resulted in announced investment commitments.