The Dangote Refinery has announced plans to commence the production of surfactants for detergent manufacturing in Nigeria, a move expected to significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imported raw materials and ease pressure on foreign exchange.

Surfactants are a core ingredient in detergents used for washing clothes, cleaning surfaces and personal hygiene products. The plan was disclosed on Wednesday by the Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Refinery, David Bird, during a news conference.

Bird said the refinery has concluded advanced discussions and is finalising commercial terms for the installation of a Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant, which will be used to manufacture surfactants locally.

“I am very pleased today to announce that we have been in deep discussions with a licenser and are just about to finalise the commercial terms for installing a linear alkyl benzene plant,” he said.
“This is the surfactant — what makes the bubbles in detergent. With Dangote, we evaluate opportunities based on population-driven demand.”

He explained that Nigeria’s large population, alongside demand from the wider West African region, makes products such as detergents essential rather than luxury items.

According to Bird, the planned LAB plant aligns with the Dangote Group’s import-substitution strategy, noting that all detergents currently used in West Africa depend on imported surfactants.

“We want to go for import substitution, and right now, 100 per cent of the detergents used in West Africa rely on imported surfactants. So we will be building an LAB plant to make them locally,” he said.

Bird added that the initiative would boost local detergent manufacturing, reduce foreign exchange demand, lower production costs, and improve profit margins for manufacturers. He described the project as part of Dangote’s broader reinvestment strategy aimed at strengthening economic sustainability and promoting self-sufficiency in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.