Dangote Cement Approves ₦45 Dividend, Unveils Africa-Led Growth Strategy
Excerpt: Dangote Cement shareholders approved a ₦45 dividend as the company outlined expansion and long-term growth plans across Africa.
Shareholders of Dangote Cement Plc have approved a final dividend of ₦45 per ordinary share for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, as the company reaffirmed its long-term strategy of expanding across Africa through investments in production capacity, cleaner energy and operational efficiency.
The dividend was approved at the company’s 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM), where Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, Emmanuel Ikazoboh, said the company is positioning Africa for self-sustaining industrial growth by leveraging local resources, cleaner energy and strategic investments to drive long-term development across the continent.
“The key thing… is transforming Africa,” Ikazoboh said. “The founder is trying to ensure that he positions Africa to become the source of its own development, using our own wealth to take care of our own business and activities rather than depending on investors from other parts of the world.”
He said the company is also intensifying efforts to improve operational efficiency by reducing transportation and energy costs through investments in compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks and alternative fuels.
“We have already imported a lot of CNG trucks to ensure that we do not use diesel for transporting cement across the country,” he said.
Ikazoboh added that Dangote Cement is expanding its use of alternative fuels by converting waste into energy to power its manufacturing operations.
“We are also doing alternative fuel to ensure that we use waste to generate energy to run our plants,” he said.
The AGM also provided shareholders with an opportunity to engage the board and management on issues including dividend sustainability, expansion plans, environmental initiatives, corporate social responsibility and operational efficiency, as the company reaffirmed its commitment to creating long-term value for investors.
Speaking on the company’s growth outlook, Group Managing Director Arvind Pathak said Dangote Cement’s performance was underpinned by deliberate investments in exports, logistics and operational efficiency.
“This 50 per cent may look to be a number, but there’s a lot of strategy which has gone behind it,” Pathak said.
According to him, investments in export operations and the deployment of CNG trucks have enabled the company to expand into markets that were previously difficult to reach, while additional initiatives are being implemented to sustain that momentum.
Pathak said Dangote Cement plans to increase its production capacity from 55 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes in line with the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030.
“We intend to grow from 55 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes,” he said.
Shareholders also expressed optimism about the company’s future, citing ongoing investments, reduced borrowings and continued expansion across Africa as positive indicators for sustained growth.
One shareholder said the company’s deployment of CNG trucks, reduction in borrowings and expansion into additional African markets were strengthening profitability and could support higher dividend payouts if the current performance continues.
“They have paid us ₦45, and if this trend continues to the fourth quarter, we expect that we will get nothing less than ₦60 to ₦70 dividend,” the shareholder said.
Another shareholder urged investors to focus on the company’s long-term sustainability rather than annual dividend payments alone.
“Dividend is not the only benefit of an investment,” the shareholder said. “For a company that is expanding, it means sustainability… I see a future.”
The shareholder said Dangote Cement’s planned additional 25 million tonnes of production capacity and continued expansion across Africa reinforced confidence that the company would continue creating value for shareholders for years to come.
With investments in cleaner energy, logistics and capacity expansion, Dangote Cement says it remains focused on strengthening its operations, expanding its African footprint and delivering sustainable long-term value for shareholders.
Ademide Adebayo
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