Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is set to expand his investments in Tanzania with plans to develop a port, a 2,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant and several other large-scale infrastructure projects in the East African country.
- +Dangote to build port, 2,000MW power plant in Tanzania
The plans were disclosed late Monday in a statement issued after Dangote held talks with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, outlining a series of investments aimed at supporting the country’s industrialisation drive.
The plans were disclosed late Monday in a statement issued after Dangote held talks with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, outlining a series of investments aimed at supporting the country’s industrialisation drive.
The latest move shows Dangote’s growing infrastructure ambitions beyond Nigeria as he accelerates investments across Africa. In addition to expanding his footprint in Tanzania, the billionaire has already announced plans to replicate his Lagos-based refinery in Kenya, while pursuing other industrial projects in Ethiopia and across the continent.
According to the statement, Dangote’s proposed investments extend well beyond power generation and include projects designed to strengthen Tanzania’s industrial and logistics infrastructure.
The plans cover the construction of a new port and a 40-kilometre concrete access road to improve connectivity to the facility.
The Dangote Group also intends to develop a special economic and trade zone, construct a 2,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant, establish a urea fertiliser project and build transport infrastructure linking the Indian Ocean port city of Mtwara with Mbamba Bay on Lake Malawi in southern Tanzania.
The statement added that both parties are expected to commence formal negotiations in the coming days to finalise the proposed investment agreements.
The Tanzania projects are part of Dangote’s broader strategy to expand his industrial footprint across Africa through investments in refining, fertiliser, manufacturing and critical infrastructure.
Collectively, the Dangote Group has said it plans to invest about $40 billion across Africa over the next five years as it expands operations in manufacturing, energy and industrial infrastructure.
Dangote’s latest push into Tanzania comes as the company is simultaneously preparing a major expansion of its flagship refinery complex in Lagos.
Beyond increasing fuel production, the expansion is expected to significantly raise polypropylene manufacturing capacity from approximately 900,000 metric tonnes to about 2.4 million metric tonnes annually, strengthening the refinery’s role as a major supplier of industrial raw materials across Africa and reducing the continent’s dependence on imports.
