Dangote Group has restated its commitment to boosting Nigeria’s industrial capacity and supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

Speaking in Enugu at the ongoing 37th International Trade Fair organised by Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (ECCIMA), the South East Regional Director of Dangote Cement, Olatunbosun Jinadu, said Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) remain vital to economic growth but face challenges such as high energy costs, expensive raw materials, and poor infrastructure.

Jinadu noted that the fair, with the theme “Empowering MSMEs for Global Competitiveness”, shows that it is not just an exhibition of products, but a clarion call to strengthen the MSMEs, which form the backbone of local and global economies.

He stated that Dangote Group’s recently announced growth strategy, Vision 2030, will, to a large extent, solve most of the challenges, especially in the area of feedstock and energy.

Jinadu noted that the group’s long-term strategy focuses on industrial expansion and investments aimed at strengthening Africa’s self-sufficiency in key sectors.

According to him, these plans include increasing the capacity of the Dangote Refinery from 650,000 to 1.4 million barrels per day, scaling fertiliser production to twelve million metric tonnes yearly, and boosting output at its polypropylene plant.

He said polypropylene has many uses, which include packaging, where it is employed for producing containers, bottles, and food packaging due to its lightweight and moisture resistance. It is also used in textiles for the making of fibres, ropes, and fabrics, including carpets and upholstery. Therefore, the availability of polypropylene will lessen the challenges faced by MSMEs.

“Nigeria’s economic transformation must be anchored on local production and industrial self-reliance. We are expanding our capacity because of our conviction that Nigeria’s economic transformation must be anchored on local production and industrial self-reliance. Dangote Group is proud to be a key private sector driver translating these ideas into tangible economic results.”

Jinadu urged stakeholders to explore partnership opportunities with Dangote’s business units at the fair.

In his remarks, ECCIMA President, Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, praised the group’s commitment to the growth of the domestic economy.

He said: “It is obvious that Dangote Group has added a lot of value to the growth of the Nigerian economy, operating in almost every sector of the economy and still expanding and going strong. The trend of Dangote business and entrepreneurship indulgence has spread to many parts of the African continent, employing thousands of people across the world, of which not less than 85 per cent are Nigerians. Indeed, Dangote Group is the pride of Nigeria and Africa at large.”