Dangote Targets 20,000 MW Power Plant in Africa Industrial Push

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote unveiled plans for a 20,000-megawatt power project, a scale that would eclipse Nigeria’s entire 13,000 MW installed capacity and reshape the continent’s energy-starved industry.

“We are now going into power—20,000 megawatts,” Dangote told International Finance Corp. Managing Director Makhtar Diop, framing it alongside ambitions to dominate Africa’s most pressing of energy, fertilisers, and industrial inputs.

“Today, in about two and a half years, we will be the largest fertiliser company in the world. We are putting up 12 million tons of urea. We are opening up mines of potash and phosphate in Congo and Brazil. We are building the biggest deep-sea port with an 18-meter draft. We are doing LNG.”

Cash Flow Catalyst

Dangote added that the expansion is being driven by stronger cash flows and increased financial flexibility.

“We are now actually free of assets, and we can actually raise more money. Our cash flow now is very, very strong,” he said, eyeing $100 billion revenue and $30-35 billion EBITDA group-wide.

Dangote did not provide details on financing or timelines for the power project, but a 20,000MW addition would significantly reshape Nigeria’s struggling electricity sector.

The country currently has an installed generation capacity of about 13,000MW, much of which is not consistently available due to infrastructure challenges.

The announcement comes alongside the rapid expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, a $20 billion facility with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, currently being scaled up toward 1.4 million barrels per day.

Africa Self-Sufficiency Vision

Dangote also linked his investments to a broader vision for Africa’s industrial self-sufficiency.

“We will open Africa by demonstrating that we believe in Africa, by investing our money in Africa,” he said. “Because if I don’t invest my own money, I can never go to any conference and convince people that Africa is a good place to come and invest. But right now, I have a voice… I have demonstrated that these things are possible,” he said.