African wealthiest man—Aliko Dangote that’s is currently worth $28 billion according to Bloomberg Billionaire Index—has announced a $400 million investment plan to drive a second production line at the Mugher cement plant in Ethiopia.
The Dangote Cement’s factory in Ethiopia, Mugher Plant, commenced production in 2025 with initial capacity to produce 2.5 million tons of cement per year. However, Dangote says the $400 million investment will double Mugher Plant annual production to 5 million tons of cement.
It’s worth noting that Dangote Cement is fully operational in 10 African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Senegal, South Africa, and Ethiopia. Dangote Cement is gradually growing into African cement empire.
The company, already producing several millions of tons of cement per annual on the African continent, will reach a milestone of 55 millions tons of cement production with the latest Mugher plant expansion.
Speaking of the Mugher plant in Ethiopia, it worth noting that Dangote Group pumped $19 million into allocating bagging plants at the facility, increasing it bag production to 120 million of bags of cement per year.
This $400 million investment will allocate a new greenfield grinding unit near Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The greenfield grinding unit will boost Mugher Plant’s production to 5 million tons of cement per year.
Challenges in Ethiopia
It worth noting that Dangote Cement has faced major challenges in Ethiopia. Many regional unrest such as political instability, violence, and conflict led to repeated attacks on company property.
In 2018, the company reported that its country manager and two of its employees were murdered in an attack. Despite these challenges, Dangote remains dedicated to Ethiopia, viewing it as an important market in his expanding African cement business.
More investment in Ethiopia
Dangote Group’s investment in the Ethiopian market has gone beyond Cement. The company is also setting its footprint in the country’s sugar industry and agriculture sector.
Dangote Group has already boosted operations at Omo Kuraz Sugar Company in Ethiopia using its using experience its gathered in Nigerian market.
Respectively, the Group is also planning an establishment of a urea production plant, contingent on Ethiopia’s natural gas development, aimed at supporting the country’s agricultural productivity.
Alike Dangote remains the richest man in Africa with an estimation of $28 billion net worth as of 2025. According to wealth estimates by the Bloomberg Billionaire Index at the time of writing, Dangote worth $28.2B and the oil refinery in Lagos Nigeria is his biggest asset.
Currently, Dangote owns sub-Saharan Africa's biggest cement industy, Dangote Cement, and the continent's largest oil refinery. He also has footprints in sugar, salt, oil, fertilizer and food industries.
