By Abubakar Yunusa
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is set to establish a $1 billion multi-sector industrial complex in Zimbabwe, combining cement production, coal mining, and power generation.
Sources confirmed that preliminary talks between Dangote Group representatives and Zimbabwean officials began during the Afreximbank Annual Meetings held in Abuja in June.
According to The Zimbabwean, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s investment adviser, Paul Tungwarara, disclosed that a high-level meeting between the president and Dangote is currently being arranged.
“The richest man in Africa is coming to Zimbabwe at the invitation of President Mnangagwa,” Tungwarara said.
He added that both leaders had maintained constant communication, with efforts ongoing to finalise logistical arrangements for the Nigerian billionaire’s visit.
Tungwarara stressed that the government was determined to ensure the investment materialises, noting that Dangote’s previous visit in 2015 did not yield tangible outcomes.
“We are keen to ensure that he makes a significant investment in Zimbabwe and avoid what happened during his previous visit in 2015, when he came but did not return,” he said.
The proposed project is expected to boost Zimbabwe’s industrial capacity, create thousands of jobs, and strengthen bilateral economic ties between Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
