Dangote Cement Plc has cemented its position as Africa’s leading cement exporter by growing its cement and clinker exports from Nigeria by 71.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
In its unaudited results released to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, the cement manufacturer said its total installed production capacity has reached 55 million tonnes per annum (MTA) across Africa.
The company operates 35.25MTA capacity in Nigeria, where its Obajana plant in Kogi State—the largest in Africa—has 16.25MTA capacity across five lines. The Ibese plant in Ogun State has 12MTA, the Gboko plant in Benue State has 4MTA, while the Okpella plant in Edo State has 3MTA.
It was revealed that 10 clinker shipments were taken from Nigeria to neighbouring markets in the period under review, boosting the total sales volumes by 13.8 per cent year-on-year, driven by growth of 11.5 per cent in Nigeria and 19.5 per cent across its pan‑African operations.
It was observed that revenue was up by 20.4 per cent year‑on‑year to N1.198 trillion, driven by a strong rebound in volumes, which grew 13.8 per cent across our markets, while EBITDA increased by 22.8 per cent to N567.1 billion, demonstrating the strength of our operating model, disciplined cost control, and our ability to convert growth into superior profitability.
Between January and March 2026, the cement maker posted a profit before tax of N421.1 billion, representing a 35 per cent increase from N311.9 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, while earnings per share rose to N19.14, up from N12.29, underscoring sustained value creation for shareholders.
In his remarks, the chief executive of Dangote Cement, Mr Arvind Pathak, said the results reflected the strength of the company’s operating model and its disciplined execution across markets.
“Our export business continues to scale rapidly, with volumes from Nigeria up 71.6 per cent and 10 clinker shipments completed in the quarter. This performance reinforces our strategic position as Africa’s leading cement exporter,” he said.
“Following the commissioning of our 3Mta grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire, we are progressing well with our expansion projects in Itori and Ethiopia, alongside other growth initiatives across the continent. These investments will further strengthen our footprint and keep us firmly on track to reach 80Mt of production capacity by 2030,” he added.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Mr Pathak expressed confidence in the company’s growth outlook.
“We have entered the year with strong momentum and a clear strategic focus. Demand across our markets remains resilient, our expansion pipeline is delivering, and our operational discipline continues to drive margin improvement. We remain confident in sustaining this growth trajectory and in consistently delivering long‑term value to our shareholders,” he stated.