Gode Fertilizer Project Crucial to Ethiopia’s Food Self-Sufficiency Push, Says PM Abiy

Addis Ababa, May 17, 2026 —Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has affirmed that the construction of the Gode urea fertilizer factory in Ethiopia’s Somali Region is a major step toward resolving one of the country’s most pressing national challenges and strengthening long term agricultural productivity.

Speaking after visiting the construction site in Gode, the Prime Minister said the project forms part of a broader strategic partnership reached months ago with Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote.

According to PM Abiy, the agreement was designed to support Ethiopia’s industrial and agricultural transformation through large scale investments in key sectors.

 

He explained that one objective of the partnership was to expand cement production in Ethiopia through Dangote’s existing investments, while the second major component focused on the establishment of a large-scale fertilizer manufacturing plant in Gode.

The factory is expected to produce 3 million metric tons of urea fertilizer annually, making it one of the largest fertilizer production facilities in the region.

The Prime Minister further noted that the original agreement envisioned completion within 40 months.

However, growing international demand for fertilizer and fuel, combined with Ethiopia’s increasing domestic agricultural needs, prompted both sides to revise the implementation schedule and accelerate construction.

“The work will be completed quickly, and we will return after four months,” PM Abiy said.

 

He added that alongside the industrial project, residential housing for nearly 5,000 local residents is also under construction and is expected to be finalized within the same period, reflecting what he described as an integrated development approach for the area.

The completion of the fertilizer plant would significantly reduce nation’s dependence on imported fertilizer, a challenge that has long strained the country’s foreign currency reserves and affected agricultural productivity.

PM Abiy also stated that expanding domestic fertilizer production is central to the government’s broader strategy of achieving food self-sufficiency and strengthening national economic resilience.

“Land, water, and people are the foundations of food self-sufficiency, and Ethiopia possesses all of these resources,” he said.

The government is working to combine Ethiopia’s natural resource potential with improved seed technologies, irrigation expansion, and modern fertilizer supply systems to increase agricultural output and support sustainable food production.

 

According to the Prime Minister, the investments underway in Gode are also expected to generate substantial national revenue and could eventually become major contributors to the economy, comparable to the role played by Ethiopian Airlines in foreign exchange generation and national development.

The Gode fertilizer project comes as Ethiopia continues pursuing large scale economic reforms and agricultural modernization efforts aimed at reducing import dependency, improving productivity, and positioning the country as a regional manufacturing and export hub.