AfricaRice Engages Dangote to Drive a New Era of Rice Self-Sufficiency in Africa

The Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) is stepping up efforts to close Africa’s widening rice production gap through strategic alliances with major industry players.

In reports of a recent high-level engagement, the center announced its Director General, AfricaRice Director General, Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, held talks with Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited,  to explore new avenues for transforming the continent’s rice sector.

The meeting, according to the center, highlighted opportunities to leverage AfricaRice’s proven innovations and scale them through strong public–private partnerships.

Central to the discussions was the need to:

• Accelerate the deployment of climate-smart rice varieties,
• Expand the Smart-Valley model for sustainable inland valley development, and
• Promote advanced agronomic practices such as solar-powered irrigation, integrated rice–fish systems, and water-efficient Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) techniques.

AfricaRice and Dangote Industries also examined ways to expand post-harvest technologies, including AfricaRice’s Mini-GEM parboiling innovation, while replicating high-impact value chain models developed under the CGIAR Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program.

This engagement follows two recent milestones:

• AfricaRice’s partnership with Niger State to provide technical support for producing 10 million tons of rice by 2030, and
• A landmark ₦1.8 trillion collaboration between Dangote Rice Limited (a subsidiary of Dangote Industries) and Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company Limited, owned by the Niger State Government.

The urgency of such initiatives cannot be overstated.

Rice is the staple food for some 750 million Africans, yet the continent produces only 23.6 million tons of milled rice annually while consuming 40.8 million tons—leaving a deficit of 17.2 million tons. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, mirrors this challenge with domestic production falling far short of demand, fueling heavy reliance on imports. As population growth accelerates and climate change intensifies, bridging this gap has become vital for food security, economic resilience, and Africa’s long-term sovereignty.

Aliko Dangote underscored the immense potential of African agriculture, stating:

“Africa is richly endowed with arable land. With the right policies, adequate investment, and the adoption of modern technology, farmers can significantly increase their yields and return on investment. With effective frameworks, Africa can achieve food security, become self-sufficient, and unlock growth across other sectors of the economy.”

Dr. Baboucarr Manneh reaffirmed AfricaRice’s commitment, adding:

“It is a privilege to have this audience with Mr. Dangote. This reflects AfricaRice’s clear vision to achieve rice self-sufficiency for Africa by leveraging dynamic partnership models that include the private sector.”

Beyond the strategy session, the AfricaRice delegation visited the Dangote Fertilizer Plant at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos—Africa’s largest granulated urea fertilizer complex, spread over 500 hectares. The tour opened new possibilities for collaboration on sustainable rice cultivation and improving nutrition security across the continent.

As AfricaRice emphasized, unlocking Africa’s rice potential requires coordinated action. Policymakers, researchers, private sector leaders, and farmers must collectively drive a transformation that reduces import dependence and builds resilient local value chains. The Niger State–Dangote partnership already provides a powerful blueprint for scaling solutions that could redefine Africa’s agricultural future.