Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has extended support to Dangote Group’s US$7 billion (Ksh906 billion) fertiliser expansion programme aimed at increasing fertiliser production in Africa and strengthening food security across the continent.

The initiative, announced on June 15, 2026, will be implemented through Dangote’s fertiliser holding company, Greenview Fertiliser Corp. AFC has provided a US$600 million (Ksh77 billion) facility to support the project.

The expansion will increase Nigeria’s urea production capacity from 3 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 9 million MTPA, while a new 3 million MTPA urea plant will be established in Ethiopia.

Once completed, the project is expected to significantly increase Africa’s total urea production capacity and reduce dependence on imported fertilisers.

Expansion plans

Dangote Group said the investment is intended to support agricultural productivity and strengthen the continent’s industrial capacity.

“Africa’s future food security will depend not only on what we grow, but on what we produce,” Dangote Group stated in an official X post.

Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited, said the project would enhance agricultural output and support industrial development across Africa.

“Expanding our fertiliser production capacity in Nigeria and developing a new plant in Ethiopia will strengthen Africa’s food security, support agricultural productivity, and deepen the continent’s industrial base. AFC has consistently supported Dangote Group at critical stages of our growth,” he said.

AFC President Samaila Zubairu said improving fertiliser availability remains critical to addressing agricultural productivity challenges across the continent.

“Closing this productivity gap is essential to Africa’s food security. By supporting the development of the world’s largest fertiliser platform, AFC is helping build the foundation for Africa to feed itself, create productive jobs and strengthen our economic sovereignty. This is not just an investment in fertiliser production. It is evidence of the Africa we are building,” he said.

Regional agricultural initiatives

The announcement comes as African countries continue implementing measures aimed at improving agricultural productivity and climate resilience.

In May 2026, Kenya hosted a three-day Earth Observation for Irrigation Mapping workshop in Nairobi under the IrrEO Project, implemented by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in partnership with the University of Manchester.

The workshop brought together participants from Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria to explore the use of satellite technologies in irrigation planning and water resource management.

Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho said the programme had mapped 50 large dams, 200 medium dams, more than 2,000 small dams and 271 irrigation schemes across the country.

Food security outlook

Kenya is seeking to expand irrigated land from 762,000 acres to 1.7 million acres, including the full development of the 200,000-acre Galana irrigation scheme under the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP).

The World Bank’s March 2026 report, Nourish and Flourish, noted that current food systems face growing pressure from population growth and climate change. The report projects that irrigation expansion could create 218 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa while improving food production capacity.

The AFC-backed fertiliser project and ongoing irrigation investments across Africa form part of broader efforts to improve agricultural output, strengthen supply chains and support long-term food security across the continent.