KEY POINTS
- Dangote Cement’s exports from Nigeria rose 71.6 percent in Q1 2026, with 10 clinker shipments completed.
- Profit before tax climbed 35 percent to N421.1 billion as revenue grew 20.4 percent to N1.198 trillion.
- Total installed African capacity now stands at 55 million tonnes per annum, on track for 80 MTA by 2030.
Aliko Dangote’s cement empire delivered a blockbuster start to 2026, with exports from Nigeria climbing 71.6 percent in the first quarter and group-wide installed capacity reaching 55 million tonnes per annum.
Dangote Cement Plc, Africa’s largest cement producer and the flagship of Dangote’s industrial group, said the export surge came alongside a 35 percent jump in pre-tax profit and a 13.8 percent rise in total sales volumes across its Nigerian and pan-African operations.
Now the company sits firmly on track to hit its 80 million tonne capacity goal by 2030, a target Dangote has tied to his broader push to make Nigeria a net exporter of cement and clinker across West and Central Africa.
Profit and revenue surge
The company posted profit before tax of N421.1 billion for the quarter ended March 31, up from N311.9 billion a year earlier. Specifically, earnings per share rose to N19.14 from N12.29, while revenue climbed 20.4 percent to N1.198 trillion.
Gross profit improved to N749.3 billion from N587.4 billion. Meanwhile, operating profit rose to N506.2 billion from N397.4 billion, and EBITDA expanded 22.8 percent to N567.1 billion.
Group Managing Director and chief executive officer Arvind Pathak credited disciplined cost control and a volume rebound. “We have delivered an outstanding start to 2026, with revenue up 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,” he said.
Additionally, Pathak said the EBITDA growth shows the company’s ability to “convert growth into superior profitability” even as input costs remain elevated.
Exports drive the story
Cement and clinker shipments from Nigeria rose 71.6 percent in the quarter, with 10 clinker cargoes completed. Indeed, the performance cements Dangote’s status as Africa’s largest cement exporter, a title the group has chased aggressively since launching seaborne shipments to West African neighbors.
Moreover, sales volumes inside Nigeria climbed 11.5 percent, while pan-African operations posted a 19.5 percent volume gain, signaling resilient demand even amid inflation pressure across the continent.
The export push leans on Dangote’s coastal infrastructure at Onne and Apapa, which lets the group ship clinker to grinding plants and third-party buyers across the Gulf of Guinea.
Expansion pipeline delivers
Dangote Cement recently commissioned a 3 million tonne grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire, deepening its Francophone footprint. However, the bigger bets sit in Itori and Ethiopia, where new capacity is under construction.
Together, those projects underpin the path to 80 million tonnes by 2030. Pathak said the expansion pipeline “is delivering” and that demand across the group’s markets remains resilient.
Today, Nigeria accounts for 35.25 million tonnes of the group’s installed capacity. The Obajana plant in Kogi State remains Africa’s largest at 16.25 million tonnes across five lines, followed by Ibese in Ogun State at 12 million tonnes, Gboko in Benue at 4 million tonnes and Okpella in Edo at 3 million tonnes.
Through sustained capital spending, Dangote has flipped Nigeria from a cement importer into a regional exporter, an achievement the founder frequently cites in his pan-African ambitions.
Whether the trajectory holds will depend on power costs, foreign exchange and how quickly the Itori and Ethiopia plants ramp up. Yet for now, Dangote’s cement flywheel is spinning faster than the market expected.
