By ebosele@hotmail.com
The Dangote Group is exploring opportunities to expand its industrial investments into Egypt as part of efforts to deepen its pan-African growth strategy and strengthen economic ties between Nigeria and Egypt.
The development follows a visit by a high-level Egyptian delegation, led by the country’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, to the Dangote Industries complex in Lagos.
The delegation held discussions with senior executives of the Dangote Group on potential areas of industrial collaboration, investment partnerships and capacity expansion across strategic sectors.
Accompanied by officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and senior executives from the country’s oil and petrochemical industry, the delegation explored opportunities for Nigerian and Egyptian businesses to establish mutually beneficial ventures.
President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, described the visit as a significant step towards strengthening African economic integration and promoting industrial development across the continent.
“This demonstrates true African integration. It reflects our belief that African businesses must invest across the continent to accelerate industrialisation and economic development. We are proud to be an African company building industries that create value for Africa,” Dangote said.
He noted that the engagement provided an opportunity to showcase the scale of industrial development achieved by the Group and identify areas of collaboration that could strengthen industrial capacity in both countries.
Dangote added that the initiative reflects the Group’s commitment to fostering partnerships among African businesses and unlocking opportunities for sustainable industrial growth.
Speaking during the visit, Saleh said the mission was aimed at translating existing diplomatic and business engagements between Nigeria and Egypt into concrete investment opportunities and industrial partnerships.
He explained that the visit followed previous engagements involving the Dangote Group at the Alamein Economic Conference and other international investment forums hosted by Egypt.
According to him, Egypt was particularly interested in understanding the Dangote Group’s industrial capabilities in refining, petrochemicals, fertiliser production and related manufacturing activities.
“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.
He stressed that stronger private-sector collaboration would be critical to unlocking the full potential of 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 highlighted the opportunities presented by the combined market of approximately 400 million people in Nigeria and Egypt, noting that both countries possess complementary strengths capable of driving industrial expansion across Africa.
He said Nigeria’s vast energy resources and Egypt’s established industrial base provide a strong foundation for cooperation in manufacturing, energy, petrochemicals, fertilisers and other strategic sectors.
The Minister added that deeper collaboration could encourage Nigerian industrialists to expand into Egypt while creating opportunities for Egyptian businesses to increase their presence in Nigeria.
He said the partnership would deliver benefits beyond trade and investment, including job creation, technology transfer, skills development and the growth of supporting industries.
Asked whether Egypt would welcome an investment in the country by Dangote Refinery, Saleh indicated that potential areas of collaboration extended beyond the refining sector.
“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 engagement aligns with the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to expand its industrial footprint across Africa, strengthen regional value chains and position the continent as a globally competitive manufacturing hub.
Beyond refining and petrochemicals, the emerging relationship between Nigerian and Egyptian industrial players is expected to create opportunities in fertiliser production, manufacturing, energy-related investments and industrial services.
The proposed expansion comes as both countries intensify efforts to promote industrialisation, attract private-sector investments and create employment, with stronger business partnerships expected to support a more integrated African economy.
