Dangote Group Seeks Partnership with Zambia to Boost Energy Supply and Local Value Addition
Aliko Dangote Meets President Hichilema to Discuss Coal, Energy Investment, and Industrialization in Zambia
The Dangote Group has expressed its readiness to partner with Zambia to harness the country’s coal deposits as part of efforts to help address the national electricity deficit.
Group President Aliko Dangote met with President Hakainde Hichilema at State House to discuss potential collaborations focused on adding value to Zambia’s raw materials and expanding energy production.
Mr. Dangote emphasized the Group’s interest in working with the Zambian government to promote local processing before export, noting that value addition keeps jobs and wealth within the country.
He stressed that sustained economic growth is difficult without a reliable electricity supply, adding that adequate power would boost Zambia’s GDP and support year-round production of key crops such as maize.
He also highlighted Zambia’s strategic, land-linked location, which positions the country well to supply goods to neighboring markets.
President Hichilema welcomed the Dangote Group’s interest, saying Africa must take charge of its own development agenda through industrialization and regional collaboration.
He noted that Zambia’s electricity demand has risen sharply and the current power shortage is constraining economic growth—an issue worsened by last season’s drought. The President encouraged the Dangote Group to invest in the energy sector as part of a long-term solution.
Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi added that the government has already partnered with the Dangote Group on the construction of a concrete road in the Copperbelt. He said the project will serve as a model for future concrete road developments, particularly in high-traffic areas.
Meanwhile, Monica Musonda, a Director of Dangote Cement Zambia, urged the government to continue collaborating with the Group, noting that Dangote’s diversified portfolio positions it well to support Zambia across multiple sectors.
