Business
Vice Chancellors Hail Dangote’s Impact on Nigeria’s Agricultural revolution
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has been hailed as a foremost entrepreneur whose laudable interventions in the agricultural sector in Nigeria should be applauded and emulated by others.
Many Nigerian University Vice Chancellors, under the auspices of Committee of Vice-Chancellors who were at the Dangote Fertiliser plant on a familiarisation visit over the weekend, marveled at the huge financial resources invested in the Plant.
The university heads unanimously agreed that Dangote should be specially recognised for his contribution on agricultural revolution in Nigeria, through his fertiliser project.
Secretary of Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigeria, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, said all Nigeria needed for real growth and development in all sectors of the economy was just to have five of Aliko Dangotes.
He urged other Nigerian billionaires to take a cue from Dangote and invest heavily in manufacturing, to significantly reduce the high unemployment rate among the youth and ameliorate the sufferings of many Nigerians.
According to him: “We decided to come and see organisation wellness and resilience in action, and we know that Aliko is one of the most resilient entrepreneurs this country has ever produced, so, it is important to come and have a feel of that action.
“We came to see how one man’s dream and vision and big picture can translate into something like this and I can say that this visit has exceeded all our expectations because nothing you see on television or even read in Newspapers can match the reality when you come here physically and see this massive edifice and process in place.
“Dangote is an enigma and like I said earlier, if we have five of his types across Nigeria or across Africa, this country and continent will be a different story entirely. We are truly very proud of him…”
Speaking after the tour of the Fertiliser Plant, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof. Nnenna Oti described the Plant as impressive and lauded the synergy between Lagos State Government and Aliko Dangote, a man from Kano State, describing the union as what Nigeria should really represent.
She said: “This plant is quite impressive. We wish we had more Nigerians who are investing in our country, creating opportunities and solving real problems as well as giving back to society as Aliko Dangote is doing…
“What is more impressive is that somebody from a different part of the county has enough confidence in another part of the country and there is this synergy between the different elements, the cooperation from the Lagos State Government and a man from Kano…this is the Nigeria of my dream,” she added.
Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), also expressed satisfaction at the operations in the factory, noting that the 3 million tonnes of granulated Urea factory would go a long way in solving the food problems in Nigeria.
She said: “This trip to Dangote Fertiliser has been awesome. …when the president said that there was going to be a state of emergency against poverty, we now know that Dangote is contributing enormously to the growth of the nation, to the availability of food security, through the provision of fertiliser, which is an important component in crop and food production…
“I am very impressed. This factory is enormous, huge funds have gone into it and it will have a positive effect on the nation’s economy. The likes of Aliko Dangote are rare, and Nigeria should be thankful for having a bold man that is always willing to take huge risks, in our midst,” she added.
In the same vein, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Tanko Ishaya, urged the Federal Government to specially recognise Aliko Dangote, as he has braved the odds to provide real solution to one of the key problems, facing the country: food security.
He said: “We have all gone round the factory and I must confess that this is a fantastic environment, and we want to congratulate the President of Dangote Group for having that vision and for implementing the vision.”
Recall that the Dangote Urea Fertiliser plant was built to tap into Nigeria’s demand for fertiliser, a critical component of achieving food sufficiency for Africa’s most populous country.
The Fertiliser plant is manufacturing 3 million metric tonnes of urea per annum, with a view to reducing the nation’s fertiliser imports, and generating over $400m annual foreign exchange from export to Africa countries.
Managing Director/CEO, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Vishawajit Sinha, revealed that the Plant which has the capacity to turn out more than 4,500 tonnes of urea per day will conveniently meet the local demand and even produce for exports.
According to him: “…We have the capacity to turn out 4,500 tonnes of Urea every day…this is a bulk application fertiliser…each crop in Nigeria or globally will require Nitrogen and this is a rich fertiliser, having 46 per cent nitrogen…The company has the capacity to meet local demand and export to African countries.”
The plant, which is the largest granulated Urea fertiliser complex in Africa, occupies 500 hectares of land, was built at a cost of $2.5 Billion, and is expected to reduce drastically level of unemployment and youth restiveness in the country through employment opportunities.
The plant is expected to generate new jobs with top quality fertiliser being available and in sufficient quantities for the farmers.
Business
OPSN Applauds President Tinubu for FRC tax halt
The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.
The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.
The Organised Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) comprising NACCIMA, MAN, NECA, NASSI and NASME commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having suspended the implementation of certain provisions of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Act 2023, which imposed financial caps and additional compliance dues on private companies.
Engr Jani Ibrahim, the National President of NACCIMA/Chairman OPSN, expressed gratitude on behalf of the private sector business, in a statement on Thursday.
The statement reads:” This action comes as a timely relief to the organised private sector members, including the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), many of whom had expressed deep concerns about the financial and administrative burden posed by the mandatory levies and reporting obligations under the current FRC framework.
The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.
We therefore commend the efforts of the Government for this timely decision, which is a proactive and responsive measure that supports the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and sustaining investor confidence.
The suspension provides a critical window for stakeholders to revisit the framework and ensure that future implementations of financial reporting obligations are transparent, equitable, and sensitive to the realities and legitimate concerns of Nigerian businesses.
The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.
We remain committed to constructive dialogue and collaboration that will advance Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.”
Business
Dangote Cement Creates 50 Agric Entrepreneurs
The beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
Determined to support the government in its food security efforts, Dangote Cement Plc has launched a Farmers Empowerment Programme in Benue State.
The initiative is aimed at enabling 50 farmers to produce subsistence and cash crops in commercial quantities from Benue State, considered to be the food basket of the nation.
The programme is coming barely two months after the company empowered businesswomen in Gboko host communities of the State with cash grants, thus deepening business activities in the State.
Earlier, the company had increased bursary payments to students of host communities by more than 100 percent.
Speaking Thursday at the launch of the Farmers Empowerment Programme, General Manager Social Performance, Johnson Kor, described the programme as ‘historic and innovative.’
He said that the beneficiaries were selected from the company’s host communities of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to him, the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the six catchment areas of the Local Government.
Mr. Kor said the projects have been earmarked for the communities as captured in the extant Community Development Agreement (CDA), adding that the contents of the CDA are progressively being executed. “Today we are witnessing an historic occasion in our journey of mutual development.
Farmers Empowerment Programme is the first programme to be launched since we signed the CDA with the immediate host communities in December 2024,” he said.
In his speech, Plant Director, Dangote Cement, Gboko Plant, Munusamy Murugan, said the company will also support farmers with fertilizers, Agro chemicals, Knapsack Sprayers and various types of seedlings. Mr. Murugan who was represented by Head of Production Department, Engr Soom Kiishi said: “This is the first batch but certainly just the beginning, and certainly not the end.
We plan it to be an annual event, but the choice of the Farmers programme may change, depending on the choice of the benefiting communities.”
He said that other economic empowerment programmes are lined up in the coming weeks.
“The Youth Empowerment Programme will soon be launched, and selected beneficiaries will receive training in Welding & Fabrication, and Solar Electrical Installation from Professional personnels,” he added.
He said the company’s scholarship scheme cuts across students from various disciplines and tertiary institutions.
In his address to the communities, a Consultant from Abbass Corporate Services, Dr. Ahemen Aondoaver Samuel, advised the beneficiaries to make use of what he described as a rare opportunity from the Dangote Cement Plc.
The Consultant said that the company’s effort will help transform beneficiaries into entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and enable them to support the government’s food security effort.
A member of the community, Kwaghgba Isaac, described the Farmers Empowerment Programme as a historic and huge intervention from the company, noting that the effort will not only boost subsistence farming, but help feed the nation.
He urged members of the communities to sustain the peaceful coexistence currently being enjoyed with the company.
Business
Nigeria’s economy grows 3.7% in H1- Stanbic IBTC report
Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.
• President Bola Tinubu
The Nigerian economy grew by 3.7 percent in the first half of 2025, driven by improved business conditions and increased oil production.
This was revealed in the Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report compiled by S&P Global and released on Tuesday.
Earlier, the World Bank estimated that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 3.6 percent in 2025, higher than the 3.4 percent recorded in 2024, despite shifts in global trade dynamics.
This projection is lower than the Central Bank of Nigeria’s estimate of 4.17 percent and the ambitious 5.5 percent GDP growth forecasted by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in January.
Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research, West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said that the estimated 3.7 percent year-on-year GDP growth aligns with expectations for annual growth of 3.5 percent.
He said, “Insights from the monthly PMIs and crude oil production data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission suggest an economy that grew by an estimated 3.7 per cent y/y in H1 2025, supported by higher crude oil production and improved growth in manufacturing and services, while agriculture continues to lag its long-term average growth rate of 3.6 per cent.”
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