- Dangote Starts Pre-testing of Fertilizer Plant
Dangote Fertilizer Limited, the biggest Urea Fertilizer in the world, has begun pre-testing of all the various parts of the project ahead of inauguration.
The $2 billion granulated Urea Fertilizer project has production capacity of three million tonnes per annum and has been listed as the biggest project in the entire fertilizer industry in the world.
According to Mr Devakumar Edwin, the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development and Capital Projects, Nigeria would saved $500 million from import substitution and earned at least $400 million from exports of fertilizer products from the plant.
“The supply of fertiliser from the plant will be enough for the Nigerian market and neighbouring countries.
“I am happy that by the time our plant is fully commissioned, the country will become self-sufficient in fertilizer production and even have the capacity to export the products to other African countries. Right now, farmers are forced to utilise whatever fertilizer that is available as they have no choice; but we need to know that the fertilizer that will work in one state may not be suitable in another state, as they may not have the same soil type and composition. The same fertilizer you use for sorghum may not be the fertilizer you will use for sugar cane,” Edwin explained.
Edwin added: “The management of the complex is confident that the fertilizer business will deliver reasonable profit to the company and its shareholders as it is projected that population growth and the need for food production will jack up the consumption of urea fertilizer beginning from 2020 when production of the production would have commenced in earnest.
“The current consumption of urea estimated at a dismal 700,000 tonnes per annum by Nigerian farmers is said to be due to very poor usage and is believed to be the cause of poor product yield, which threatens food security in the country.
“By 2020, Nigerian population is projected to increase to about 207 million, which would lead to increased food production. Estimates points out that around five million tonnes of fertilizers are required per year in Nigeria in the next five to seven years bifurcated into 3.5 million tonnes of urea and 1.5 million tonnes of NPK while current production levels in Nigeria are at 1.6 million tonnes by 2019.”
