Dangote Cement Plc has signed a US$1 billion agreement with China’s Sinoma International Engineering to construct and upgrade cement facilities across seven African countries. The deal, finalized in Lagos, covers 12 projects aimed at raising annual production capacity to 80 million tonnes by 2030 – central to Dangote Group’s broader Vision 2030 target of US$100 billion in revenue.
New integrated lines will be built in Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Cameroon, alongside expansions at five Nigerian sites: Itori, Apapa, Lekki, Port Harcourt and Onne.
Sinoma will lead construction, brownfield upgrades and plant modernization to improve efficiency and strengthen regional distribution networks.
Aliko Dangote, founder of the group, called the investments “critical enablers” to capture rising demand in Africa’s construction sector. Analysts view the move as a strategic play to leverage economies of scale in fast-growing regional markets.
The cement expansion complements Dangote’s parallel industrial pushes: its 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery is now operating at full capacity, supplying petrol, diesel and aviation fuel across West Africa, while its fertilizer plant serves as a regional hub for nitrogen-based inputs.
Together, these initiatives reflect an integrated strategy to build industrial ecosystems spanning construction, energy and agriculture – advancing Africa’s manufacturing base and reducing import dependence.
