Aliko Dangote to establish sugar refinery in Ghana to cut reliance on imports, boost local industry
Dangote’s Ghana refinery project aims to slash import costs, create jobs, and support industrial development under Ghana’s 1D1F policy.
GHANA – Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has announced plans to establish a large-scale sugar refinery in Ghana, marking a significant expansion of the Dangote Group’s footprint in West Africa.
The project is intended to reduce Ghana’s dependence on sugar imports and support local agro-industrial growth.
The proposed facility, Dangote Sugar Refinery, will be situated in Kwame-Danso in Ghana’s Bono Region. Announced via a LinkedIn post, Dangote described the initiative as a major milestone in Ghana’s economic advancement and a key driver of industrial transformation.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a major agro-industrial project in Kwame-Danso, Bono Region: Dangote Sugar Refinery,” Dangote stated.
He called the venture “a new chapter” in Ghana’s journey towards economic self-sufficiency.
The refinery project aligns with the Ghanaian government’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative, aimed at boosting industrial activity across districts.
The refinery will target a daily sugarcane crushing capacity of 12,000 tons, supported by irrigation infrastructure covering 25,000 hectares of farmland. It will produce refined sugar, molasses, and ethanol.
All necessary permits have been secured and land acquisition finalized, according to Dangote, enabling the start of full-scale implementation.
He noted the project’s strategic focus on addressing Ghana’s sugar import bill, currently estimated at US$162 million annually.
Beyond addressing economic goals, Dangote highlighted the broader impact of the refinery on job creation and regional development. “At Dangote, we envision more than just a factory. We see a catalyst for economic independence, job creation, and transformative impact across Africa,” he noted.
The initiative is expected to generate thousands of jobs across the farming, logistics, and manufacturing sectors in Ghana. It further strengthens the Dangote Group’s regional presence and supports the continent’s wider goals of food security and industrialization.
Q1 unaudited results
Meanwhile, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has released its unaudited Q1 2025 financial results, showing a 74.31 percent increase in revenue to N213.93 billion (US$133.2M). This already represents 32% of the company’s full-year 2024 revenue.
Despite strong revenue growth, the company reported a pre-tax loss of N22.63 billion (US$14.1M) due to higher input costs, though this reflects a significant 78.82% reduction in losses from Q1 2024.
The after-tax loss narrowed to N23.65 billion (US$14.7M), supported by a sharp drop in finance costs and a swing from heavy exchange losses to modest gains.
Looking ahead, the company aims to achieve an annual refined sugar output of 1.5 million metric tonnes and create over 75,000 jobs across its value chain.
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