Dangote Cement Plans to Acquire Cargo Ships After Struggling to Find Vessel for Ghana Export
Dangote Industries Limited is considering acquiring its own cargo vessels after the company reportedly struggled to secure a ship to transport about 1,000 tonnes of cement from Nigeria to Ghana, highlighting persistent challenges facing maritime trade and regional exports in West Africa.
Sada Ladan-Baki, Head of International Trade Export at Dangote Cement, disclosed the plan on Tuesday at a seminar on non-oil exports in Lagos.
“We are moving forward towards getting our own ships in order to do this business,” Ladan-Baki said.
The development underscores the growing concern over limited shipping capacity for intra-African trade, particularly along West African routes.
Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement producer, has an annual production capacity of about 50–55 million tonnes and supplies several markets across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The company has traditionally relied heavily on road transportation to reach regional markets, including Ghana. However, Ladan-Baki said cross-border movement can become costly because of taxes and other charges imposed as goods pass through multiple countries.
He argued that greater use of maritime transportation could help reduce some of these logistical challenges and make Nigerian exports more competitive within the region.
Shipping Gap Raises Concern
Nigeria has been without a national shipping carrier since the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line in 1995, leaving international shipping companies to handle a significant portion of the country’s maritime trade.
Ladan-Baki therefore called for greater attention to Nigeria’s maritime capacity, including the activation of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), established to support the acquisition of vessels by Nigerian operators.
The fund, created in 2003, is estimated at about $700 million. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) opened an application portal in January 2026, offering financing of up to $25 million per operator, although no disbursements had reportedly been made as of the time of the seminar.
Dangote already operates major terminals at Onne and Apapa, while its Lekki jetty supports operations linked to the company’s refinery.
The company has not disclosed the number of vessels it intends to acquire, the projected investment or a timeline for the purchase.
The move, if implemented, could mark a significant step in Dangote’s efforts to strengthen its export logistics while drawing renewed attention to the need for greater Nigerian participation in the country’s maritime transportation sector.
Dangote Cement Plans to Acquire Cargo Ships After Struggling to Find Vessel for Ghana Export