Abraaj Group, a leading investor in global markets, has acquired a minority stake in Indorama Fertilizers, the largest urea fertilizer manufacturer in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Port Harcourt in Nigeria.
The company announced, yesterday, that it acquired the stake with its funds.
The stake was purchased from Indorama Holdings B.V. Netherlands, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indorama Corporation (“Indorama”), one of the world’s fastest growing petrochemical companies.
The Indorama petrochemicals operate in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
Indorama Fertilizers operates a world-class, 1.4 million metric tonnes per annum urea manufacturing facility based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
The plant has been developed to global environmental, social and construction standards.
It plays a key role in supporting the agricultural sector in Nigeria by providing a reliable supply of fertilizers for local farmers, thereby enabling import substitution and supporting the diversification needs of the Nigerian economy.
Indorama Fertilizers is also advantageously located to serve neighbouring West African countries and key Western hemisphere markets, including North America, South America and Europe.
The fertilizer industry is expected to experience long-term demand growth as increases in populations and incomes drive demand for food.
Urea is the most widely used fertilizer globally and continues to grow in market share due to its high nutrient content and ease of handling and storage.
Indorama Fertilizers is uniquely positioned to become a global fertilizer leader, given its execution capabilities, competitive production costs, and the strength of its management team.
Indorama Fertilizers will establish Nigeria’s reputation as a key producer and exporter of fertilizer, channelling foreign exchange into the country, while also enabling Nigeria to meet the significant requirements of the domestic fertilizer market.
Abraaj, which has been investing in Africa for the past two decades, will use its expertise and networks to support Indorama Fertilizer’s market penetration and future expansion plans, as well as help ensure best-in-class corporate governance.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj, Arif Naqvi, said, “this is a landmark transaction for Abraaj in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are privileged to be partnering with Indorama Corporation to create a global fertilizer leader in Africa.’’
Since the establishment, Indorama Fertilizers has led the local market in an industry characterized by high levels of demand and insufficient supply of quality fertilizer in the region, he said.
“Having successfully invested in the fertilizer business in North Africa, we look forward to leveraging that know-how and working with the management team in developing the company’s route-to-market infrastructure, build its network and support its capacity expansion and product diversification plans in the region.”
The Group Chairman of Indorama, Mr Sri Prakash, welcomed Abraaj as an investor to fertilizer business.
He said they endeavour to create a world-class manufacturing and distribution network for fertilizers in the African continent, to meet the needs of underserved farmers and help propel the growth of the agricultural sector even further.