Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is exploring new opportunities in Namibia’s phosphate and energy sectors as part of plans to expand the Dangote Group’s industrial footprint beyond West Africa.
During a visit to State House in Windhoek on Thursday, Dangote met with Namibia’s President, Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, where he expressed interest in investing in the country’s oil, gas, and fertilizer sectors.
Aliko stated that Namibia’s natural resources and policy direction present strong potential for investment partnerships.
“Namibia is a country with the right environment and resources for industrial development. We’re actively looking at opportunities in oil, gas, and phosphate to support our expansion across Africa,” he said.
In addition, Dangote explained that the group’s expansion plans include leveraging phosphate deposits to scale up fertilizer production, which is a core segment of its business operations.
“We are also exploring opportunities in other African countries with phosphate resources to expand fertilizer production and related value chains,” he mentioned.
He noted that the company’s existing fertilizer plant has a capacity of over 3 million tonnes, ranking as the second largest globally in terms of output.
Dangote also referenced the group’s 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery in Nigeria, which also produces carbon black, LPG, and sulfate chips.
On her part, President Nandi Ndaitwah welcomed the business mogul, calling the visit “a meaningful gesture” and an example of what intra-African partnerships could achieve.
“Meeting successful African entrepreneurs like yourself serves as a true inspiration for young Africans to play their part in the continent’s development. You are most welcome, and I’m glad you have finally made it, as promised,” she said.
The visit comes amid renewed efforts by Namibia to develop its energy infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Ndaitwah called for the establishment of a local oil refinery to ensure more value is retained from the country’s recent oil discoveries.
She first made the proposal during the Namibia International Energy Conference held in April.
Beyond national plans, Namibia is also seeking cross border partnerships.
The President has held separate discussions with leaders from Angola, Zambia, and Botswana on the possibility of building a shared refinery to serve the southern African region.
Dangote’s interest in Namibia could support these regional ambitions, particularly as the Dangote Group already operates extensive logistics and refining infrastructure that could complement local capacity building.
