As soon as the second day of April 2025, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, fulfilled an earlier promise he had made to impose reciprocal tariffs on his country’s trading partners. This was tagged Liberation Day, one in which Nigeria, going forward, would be levied 14 percent for its exports, yet the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, celebrates urea market edge.

The contentment expressed by Africa’s richest man is notably down to Algeria’s misfortunes. At the moment, the added tariffs imposed by the administration have been paused, except for the world’s second-largest economy, China.

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When Trump drew out a country-by-country picture of the tariffs, he initially apportioned 30 percent import duty to Algeria, which is substantially below the 59 percent this North African trading partner charged his country, and that is where Dangote’s fertiliser exports would find its edge.

At a Lagos-held investment conference that the group executive attended on Thursday, 1 May 2025, which was also Workers’ Day, Aliko Dangote in a keynote address sharpened up into an image of one who has found the only life jacket during an unforeseen emergency.

While there as the African Private Capital Association (AVCA) concluded its 21st Annual Private Capital Conference, the group president, with an estimated net worth of US$28.1 billion as of 19 March 2025, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $23.9 billion according to Forbes, despite global trade wars, can imagine more success and profitability.

As they took in the solemnity of attending such a pedigree of an investment conference held between 28 April to 2 May, and had Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment also giving a confidence speech, the audience heard how Africa’s largest granulated urea fertiliser complex, the Dangote Fertiliser plant, so far, was able to ship 37 percent of its 3 million metric tonnes of the product to the United States.

In Mr. Dangote’s view, his company’s profitability can only continue because of certain advantages over rivals. He noted this yesterday at the conference, observing that when I checked who we are really competing with, we are competing with Algeria.

Seeing the benefits of Trump’s reciprocal tariff on Algeria, though it has been paused for 90 days since 9 April, encouraged Aliko Dangote to describe a situation that actually makes us a bit comfortable.

This power of vision is no doubt what makes the group’s president’s inclusion in the next phase of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab widely acceptable.

A press release by the bank on Wednesday, 23 April, carried the announcement. The World Bank believes itself entering a new chapter of the programme with the four extra additions it made – Bill Anderson, CEO, Bayer AG; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair, Bharti Enterprises, and Mark Hoplamazian, President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, all join Dangote for being leaders in sectors critical to job creation.

Since the Lab’s launch in 2023, says the World Bank, private sector leaders have provided it with valuable feedback that has helped the organisation better align its strategies and undertake several new initiatives to increase the speed and scale of private capital flows for development. 

Accepting the invitation to join the setup, Dangote said he was excited about having an opportunity that aligns with my long-standing commitment to sustainable development and unlocking the potential of developing economies.

Drawing inspiration from the remarkable successes of the Asian Tigers, which have demonstrated the power of strategic investment and focused economic policy, I am eager to collaborate with fellow leaders to replicate such outcomes across other regions

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.