Dangote Industries has unveiled plans to establish its own shipping fleet to strengthen maritime operations and ease product movement across West and Central Africa.
Sada Ladan-Baki, Head of International Trade and Export at Dangote Cement, disclosed the development at a seminar on non-oil exports, explaining that the company has faced persistent challenges securing adequate shipping capacity.
She noted that at one point, Dangote was unable to find a vessel to transport a 1,000-metric-tonne consignment to Ghana, despite the short distance.
Reliance on road transport, she added, has proven costly, as goods must pass through Benin and Togo where taxes and charges increase expenses, making Nigerian exports less competitive.
“We are moving forward towards getting our own ships in order to do this business,” Ladan-Baki said.
The move comes as Dangote’s $20 billion Lagos refinery reshapes Nigeria’s maritime trade. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, petroleum exports by sea have surged seven-fold since 2023, largely driven by refinery output.
The facility is expected to handle about 600 vessels annually, including crude imports and refined product exports.
Reacting, Otunba Shola Adewumi, President of the Indigenous Shipping Association of Nigeria (ISAN), welcomed the plan but cautioned that vessel maintenance and management could pose challenges.
He urged Dangote to register the ships under the Nigerian flag to boost the national fleet, create jobs for seafarers, and enhance Nigeria’s influence in global shipping.