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•Uganda woos conglomerate for refinery, fertiliser, salt projects
Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited has unveiled Nigeria’s first locally assembled electric heavy-duty truck, marking a new step in the country’s efforts to develop its automotive industry and promote cleaner transportation.
The electric truck was unveiled on Sunday at the company’s assembly plant in Ikeja, Lagos, in the presence of officials of the Dangote Group, Sinotruk Group, Lagos State Government and other industry stakeholders.
The development expands the company’s operations beyond conventional commercial vehicles to include electric trucks, as it seeks to take advantage of the growing demand for cleaner and more affordable transportation options. Speaking at the event, Group Vice-President, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar V.G. Edwin, said the introduction of electric trucks reflected the company’s commitment to embracing new technology and reducing the environmental impact of transportation.
He said the company had moved from compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles to electric vehicles as part of efforts to keep pace with changes in the global automotive industry.
“Today, we are taking an important further step as the global economy is looking for sustainable business, that is, vehicles which will also be protective of the environment. So, we went into CNG technology and now we are going into the electric technology. This is a technology which is revolutionising the whole world,” Edwin said.
He explained that electric trucks could help transport and logistics operators reduce running costs and harmful emissions, depending on electricity prices, the nature of their operations and the availability of charging facilities.
“The electric commercial vehicle offers the potential for lowering the operating cost and reducing the tailpipe emissions. Depending on the application, the electricity cost and the charging infrastructure, it is going to be highly beneficial to the people,” he said.
Edwin said the company was also putting in place the necessary technical support, spare parts and charging facilities to make the adoption of electric trucks easier for customers.
He added that Dangote Sinotruk would work with government agencies, business partners and customers to develop the support system required for the successful use of electric commercial vehicles in Nigeria.
According to him, the partnership between Dangote Group and Sinotruk was established to build a strong commercial vehicle manufacturing business in Nigeria through local assembly, technology transfer and job creation.
He said the company’s long-term ambition was to make Nigeria a major automotive manufacturing centre for West Africa by increasing local production, training Nigerian engineers and technicians and creating more employment opportunities.
President of Sinotruk Group, Liu Wei, described the unveiling as a major milestone for Nigeria and the African automotive industry, saying the truck was the first new-energy truck assembled on the continent.
“Today, we gather in the beautiful city of Lagos to witness the official roll-off of the first electric heavy-duty truck from the joint venture. More importantly, it represents a substantial step forward for Nigeria and West Africa in driving localised manufacturing and the green transition of new-energy commercial vehicles,” Liu said.
He said the development would support Nigeria’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions while strengthening its capacity to manufacture vehicles locally.
Liu disclosed that the partnership between the two companies began in 2010, while their joint venture was formally established in 2014. The first heavy-duty truck rolled off the assembly line in 2017, while a vehicle welding and painting facility became operational in 2024.
He said the joint venture had so far assembled more than 8,000 vehicles in Nigeria, adding that the company would continue to improve its production capacity and train local engineers and technicians.
Also speaking, the representative of the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Olasunkanmi Ojoowuro, described the unveiling as an important development for the country’s manufacturing and transportation sectors.
He said local production of electric trucks would help reduce vehicle emissions, create jobs, lower operating costs over time and equip Nigerian workers with skills in modern vehicle technology.
He urged the company to sustain its investment in local manufacturing and technical training.
The latest development strengthens Dangote Sinotruk’s position in Nigeria’s commercial vehicle market, with the company seeking to serve the growing transportation, construction and logistics needs of Nigeria and other West African countries.
Meanwhile, Uganda has invited Nigerian billionaire industrialist, Aliko Dangote, to invest in its proposed oil refinery, fertiliser and salt production projects as the East African country seeks to process its natural resources locally, create jobs and reduce dependence on imports.
The proposed investments include a 60,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in the Hoima area, alongside opportunities in phosphate processing, fertiliser production and salt manufacturing.
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The invitation was made during a visit by a Ugandan government delegation, led by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Monica Musenero Masanza, and Minister of State for Privatisation and Investment, Hajjat Amina Mukalazi, to Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited in Lagos.
Speaking during the visit, Mukalazi urged Dangote to bring his experience in building and managing large industrial facilities to Uganda, describing the proposed projects as critical to the country’s industrial development.
“You have shown that an African company can build a world-scale industry in Africa and run it by Africans themselves,” she said.
She explained that Uganda wanted to turn its crude oil and mineral resources into finished products rather than continue importing them, adding that Dangote’s experience could help accelerate the process.
“Our crude, our phosphate, our salt are waiting to be turned into fuel, fertilisers and chemicals here in Africa and in Uganda by Africans,” Mukalazi said.
The minister said the proposed refinery could complement Dangote’s planned refinery investment in Lamu, Kenya, with the Ugandan facility serving inland markets while the Kenyan project caters to coastal and maritime markets.
She also invited Dangote to visit Uganda for further discussions, assuring him that the government would provide the necessary support and remove obstacles that could discourage investment.
“Uganda needs Dangote, and now is the right time. Our country is ready and moving rapidly towards industrialisation,” she said.
Mukalazi added that the proposed investments would create employment, transfer technical knowledge and provide opportunities for local businesses, particularly young people.
“As the minister responsible for investment, I want to assure Alhaji Dangote that the government will support his investment and work to remove bottlenecks,” she said.
Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Musenero, said the delegation was also in Nigeria to learn from Dangote’s experience in developing large-scale industrial facilities and explore ways to strengthen Uganda’s oil and fertiliser industries.
She identified fertiliser manufacturing as a major investment opportunity, noting that although Uganda has mineral resources suitable for production, the country has struggled to process them into finished products.
“We also have minerals that can be used to produce fertilisers, but our efforts to convert those resources into fertilisers have not been very successful. Here, we have seen a very large fertiliser manufacturing facility,” she said.
She described the proposed partnership as an opportunity for African businesses to work together in developing the continent’s industrial capacity.
“This is setting a new standard for African thinking and for what we believe we can achieve. Sometimes, we think too small,” she said.
Musenero expressed hope that discussions would lead to an early visit by Dangote to Uganda to advance the proposed investments.
Responding, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, David Bird, said the visit showed Uganda’s strong interest in building an industrial partnership with the group.
He said the country had considerable natural resources and skilled manpower, as well as the political commitment required to drive industrial development.
“Uganda has incredible natural resources and human capital. As both ministers have expressed during this visit, there is also no shortage of ambition or political will to pursue industrialisation,” Bird said.
He added that the discussions would help identify areas of common interest and support Dangote Group’s expansion plans in East Africa.
“The visit demonstrates the strength of the relationship and the importance attached to identifying common ground, exploring opportunities and strengthening our expansion into East Africa as part of Vision 2030,” he said.
Dangote Group President and Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote, received the delegation during the visit to the company’s refinery and fertiliser facilities in Lekki, Lagos.
