By Uche Amunike
Dangote Industries Limited is considering the acquisition of vessels to strengthen the movement of its products from Nigeria to markets across West and Central Africa. The proposed Dangote Cement Maritime Transport Investment is expected to address inadequate shipping capacity and the high cost of road transportation, which have continued to pose challenges to the company’s regional export operations.
The plan was disclosed by the Head of International Trade and Export at Dangote Cement, Mrs Sada Ladan-Baki, during a seminar on non-oil exports. She explained that the decision to acquire vessels was informed by the difficulties the conglomerate has experienced while trying to secure adequate shipping services for its products.
According to Ladan-Baki, the logistics problems affecting regional trade have at times made it difficult for Dangote to move even relatively small consignments across the West African sub-region.
She cited an instance where the company could not secure a vessel to transport a 1,000-metric-tonne consignment to Ghana, despite the relatively short maritime distance between Nigeria and the neighbouring West African country.
‘We are moving forward towards getting our own ships in order to do this business,’ she stated.
The Dangote Cement Maritime Transport Investment is also being considered as an alternative to the company’s heavy dependence on road transport. Ladan-Baki noted that transporting products by road to markets such as Ghana presents additional financial and operational challenges.
Goods travelling from Nigeria to Ghana must pass through neighbouring countries, including Benin and Togo. Along the route, exporters may face various taxes, levies and other charges, increasing the overall cost of transportation.
According to her, the additional expenses ultimately affect the competitiveness of Nigerian products in regional markets. The situation has therefore strengthened the argument for Dangote to establish greater control over its logistics operations through maritime transportation.
Dangote Industries operate in several major sectors, including cement manufacturing, oil and gas, petrochemicals, fertiliser, food production, as well as training and skills development. As the conglomerate expands its operations and export activities, the need for efficient transportation systems is becoming increasingly important.
The planned acquisition of vessels could provide the group with a more reliable means of transporting goods to destinations across West and Central Africa while reducing its dependence on external shipping companies and costly road networks.
The Dangote Cement Maritime Transport Investment is particularly significant because the company’s growing business operations are increasingly connected to maritime trade.
Its $20 billion refinery in Lagos has already become a major force in Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum trade. Recent data from the United States Energy Information Administration showed that Nigeria’s petroleum-product exports by sea have increased seven-fold since 2023, largely driven by refined products from the Dangote refinery.
The development highlights the growing importance of shipping and port logistics to the wider Dangote business empire, particularly as the refinery increases its production and export capacity.
The refinery is also expected to handle about 600 vessels every year. These include ships bringing crude oil into the facility as well as vessels transporting refined petroleum products to domestic and international markets.
With the proposed vessel acquisition, Dangote could further integrate its logistics operations and improve control over the movement of products across the region. The investment may also help reduce delays associated with vessel shortages and improve delivery schedules for customers.
For Nigeria’s wider non-oil export sector, the move reflects the continuing importance of addressing logistics constraints that affect manufacturers and exporters. Reliable maritime transportation could help companies reduce costs, reach regional markets more efficiently and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian-made products.
The proposed move therefore positions the Dangote Cement Maritime Transport Investment as part of the company’s broader strategy to overcome export bottlenecks and support its continued expansion across African markets.
