President Buhari commissions Dangote Fertiliser Plant in Lagos

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, conducted the commissioning of Dangote Fertiliser Plant, with a nameplate capacity of 3 million metric tonnes per annum, at Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.   The president conducted the tapetape-cutting ceremony marking the inauguration of the $2.5 billion project, in the presence of dignitaries including Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Industries Limited, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, and Minister of Trade and Investment Niyi Adebayo.   The urea and ammonia fertiliser plant is the biggest of its kind in the world and, combined with a 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery standing within its vicinity, will cost Africa’s richest man $17.5 billion, Mr Emefiele said at the event.     The refinery is due for launch later this year.   Test run began at the facility in March 2020 in hope that production would commence later in the year. But not until the first quarter of 2021 did that happen on account of disruptions from the pandemic outbreak.   According to dangote.com, the plant is Africa’s largest Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex and occupies 500 hectares of land in the Lekki Free Trade Zone.   The plant is also expected to add well over $400 million in foreign exchange to the Nigerian economy from exportation of the products to other Africa countries.