Nigeria’s Dangote Group is exploring investments in Egypt’s refining, petrochemicals and fertiliser industries following a visit by Egyptian Investment Minister Mohamed Farid to its Lagos industrial complex, advancing discussions held with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in October without yet securing a confirmed project or investment commitment.
Farid led an Egyptian delegation to meet Aliko Dangote, the group’s founder and chief executive, to examine potential joint ventures and industrial partnerships, according to a November 8 statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. The talks also covered manufacturing activities and opportunities to develop supply chains between Egypt and Nigeria.
The visit follows Dangote’s meeting with El-Sisi at the Alamein Africa business forum, where the Nigerian industrialist expressed interest in investing in Egypt’s energy, fertiliser and cement sectors. Egyptian officials offered support for potential projects, although neither side announced an investment value or implementation timetable.
The latest discussions place greater emphasis on refining, petrochemicals and fertilisers, sectors where Dangote’s existing industrial operations could complement Egypt’s manufacturing base, petroleum infrastructure and access to export markets.
Egyptian petroleum officials presented opportunities in refining and petrochemical projects, highlighting the country’s ports, storage facilities and petroleum transport networks. These assets could support industrial ventures supplying the domestic market and customers in Europe and other regions.
Farid said cooperation between Egypt and Nigeria could build on Nigeria’s energy resources and Egypt’s industrial capabilities, with the two countries representing a combined market of approximately 400 million people.
He stressed that potential cooperation was not limited to establishing an oil refinery, but could extend to fertilisers, petrochemicals and related manufacturing industries.
Dangote Group is one of Africa’s major industrial conglomerates, with operations spanning cement, fertilisers, petroleum refining and other manufacturing activities. Its large-scale refinery in Lagos and established fertiliser operations provide experience relevant to the sectors under discussion.
For Egypt, a partnership with the group could bring industrial capital and technical expertise into sectors capable of increasing domestic value added, developing local suppliers and supporting exports. However, the economic benefits would depend on the scale, location and financing of any projects eventually agreed.
Dangote reaffirmed the group’s intention to expand its industrial presence across Africa and identified Egypt as a prospective destination for further investment.
The talks also align with Egypt’s broader efforts to attract foreign investment into manufacturing and export-oriented industries, as the government seeks to increase private-sector participation and strengthen regional production networks.
Despite the renewed engagement, no binding investment agreement, project value or construction schedule has been disclosed. The next indication of progress will be whether the discussions produce specific projects, financing commitments and implementation plans.
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