Dangote Refinery has announced plans to begin local production of surfactants, a key raw material used in detergent manufacturing across Nigeria and West Africa.
Surfactants are essential ingredients in cleaning products, responsible for breaking down dirt and creating the foaming action in detergents used for household cleaning, laundry and personal hygiene.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by David Bird, Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery, during a news conference.
Bird disclosed that the refinery has concluded commercial discussions for the installation of a Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant, which will enable local production of surfactants for detergent manufacturers.
According to him, the initiative is expected to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported raw materials, ease pressure on foreign exchange, lower production costs for manufacturers and potentially reduce the retail prices of detergents.
“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,” Bird said.
“This is the surfactant — what makes the bubbles in detergent. At Dangote, we evaluate business opportunities based on population-driven demand.”
Bird noted that essential products such as fuel, lubricants and detergents should not be treated as luxury items, especially in a region with a rapidly growing population.
He revealed that 100 per cent of the surfactants used in detergent production across West Africa are currently imported, stressing that the LAB plant will support import substitution and strengthen local manufacturing capacity.
“With Nigeria and West Africa’s large population, demand for these products is strong. We want to substitute imports, and that is why we will be building an LAB plant to produce surfactants locally,” he added.
Bird said the move would boost domestic detergent production and further reinforce economic self-sufficiency across Nigeria and the wider West African region.
