Ethiopia: Dangote Hires Spanish Firm for Ethiopia's $4 Billion Fertiliser Project

What the report says

Dangote Group has hired Spain’s Técnicas Reunidas to provide two hydrogen reformers for its under-construction fertiliser complex in Gode, in Ethiopia’s Somali region, according to Addis Standard, as the project’s estimated cost has climbed to more than $4 billion. The Spanish firm said it will handle design, materials procurement, manufacturing and delivery over an 18-month period. The contract value was not disclosed.

The Gode facility is being developed by Dangote Group and Ethiopian Investment Holdings under a joint venture in which Dangote holds 60% and the Ethiopian state-owned fund holds 40%. The project was launched in October 2025, and the expanded plan now includes a gas pipeline from the Calub field, a power plant, packaging capacity and a blending plant. The main complex is expected to produce 3 million tonnes of urea a year, while the NPK blending plant is designed for 2 million tonnes annually.

The report said the project’s cost had originally been estimated at $2.5 billion before rising in 2026 as the scope expanded. Ethiopia currently depends heavily on imported fertiliser, so officials have framed the venture as part of a wider effort to improve domestic supply, reduce foreign currency pressure and support agriculture. Separately, Dangote has said he intends to make part of the venture available to local investors once production stabilises, though no timetable or pricing has been announced.