The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, has thrown her weight behind the industrial approach of Dangote Industries Limited as a practical solution to Africa’s growing food crisis.
During a visit to the company’s fertiliser plant in Lekki, Lagos, she described the operations of Dangote Fertiliser Limited as a strong example of how large-scale, homegrown investments can help tackle food insecurity across the continent. She noted that the UN’s role is to spotlight and support such scalable solutions, especially at a time when many African countries are struggling with rising food shortages.
Mohammed stressed that stronger global partnerships will be key to expanding these kinds of initiatives, pointing out that collaboration between governments, development partners and the private sector is essential to delivering real impact.
Speaking during the visit, President of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, said the company is already stepping up efforts to support the region by increasing exports of fertiliser and refined petroleum products to African markets facing supply challenges.
He revealed that the refinery has recently shipped multiple cargoes of petrol across West, Central and East Africa, helping to ease supply pressures. However, he also raised concerns about limited access to crude oil, noting that supply from local producers still falls short of what is needed for full capacity operations.
Dangote called for more direct and transparent access to locally produced crude, ideally in naira, to reduce costs and improve efficiency. According to him, strengthening both energy and agricultural inputs like fertiliser will play a major role in stabilising economies and improving food security across Africa.