LAGOS, Nigeria — Dangote Industries Limited has unveiled an ambitious long-term strategy to increase its total refining capacity across Africa to 2.1 million barrels per day, positioning the continent for a transformative shift toward energy self-sufficiency.
The expansion plan, disclosed during a visit by a delegation from the Republic of the Congo’s national oil company, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, comprises 1.4 million barrels per day in Nigeria and a planned 700,000 barrels per day refining complex in Kenya to serve East African markets.
Group Vice President for Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, who outlined the strategy, also revealed plans for an additional $46 billion investment between 2026 and 2028 across the group’s refining, cement, and fertiliser businesses as part of its drive to accelerate industrialisation across Africa.
A New Benchmark for African Energy
The announcement comes as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, already regarded as the world’s largest single-train refinery, has established a new benchmark for fuel quality in Africa by producing petroleum products that meet the highest international specifications. The facility has improved access to cleaner fuels while significantly reducing the continent’s dependence on imported refined products from outside Africa.
Edwin noted that the refinery has already increased its crude processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day, exceeding its official nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, a milestone confirmed during a performance test conducted by the refinery’s process licensors. The achievement underscores the facility’s strong engineering design and operational efficiency, with plans to expand Nigerian capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day within the next 30 months.
Since commencing operations, the Dangote refinery has fundamentally altered the dynamics of the regional fuel market. Nigeria, long reliant on costly imports despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, now has access to locally refined petroleum products, saving the nation billions of dollars in foreign exchange and reducing the vulnerability of its economy to global price fluctuations.
Strategic Partnership with Congo
During the delegation’s visit, SNPC Managing Director Maixent Raoul Ominga described the Dangote refinery as “a strategic asset for Africa” and expressed the national oil company’s interest in developing a long-term partnership to strengthen the Republic of Congo’s supply of refined petroleum products.
“We have visited this remarkable refinery, which represents a major industrial achievement for Africa,” Ominga said. “The Republic of the Congo has refining capacity, and we are keen to explore strategic cooperation that will help strengthen the supply of refined petroleum products while creating value for both organisations.”
The potential partnership with Congo underscores the refinery’s growing influence beyond Nigeria’s borders, as African nations seek to reduce their dependence on European and Middle Eastern refiners and foster intra-African trade in petroleum products.
East African Expansion
Dangote’s preference for Kenya as the location for the proposed East African refinery has intensified regional competition between Kenya and Tanzania. Speaking to the Financial Times earlier this year, Aliko Dangote indicated he was leaning toward the Kenyan port city of Mombasa because it has “a much larger, deeper port” and a larger domestic fuel market.
“The ball is in the hands of President Ruto. Whatever President Ruto says is what I’ll do,” Dangote told the Financial Times.
The planned Kenyan refinery would serve the vast East African market, where countries currently import most refined petroleum products from overseas suppliers, leaving the region vulnerable to supply shocks and price volatility. A locally based refinery would not only stabilise fuel prices but also create thousands of jobs and spur economic growth across the region.
A Vision for Continental Industrialisation
The expansion plans align with Dangote’s broader vision of transforming Africa from a net importer of refined petroleum products into a self-sufficient refining hub capable of meeting its own energy needs and exporting to global markets.
“We are for Africa, not just Nigeria,” Aliko Dangote reaffirmed during the SNPC visit. “Tell us what you need, and we will see how we can work together.”
The Nigerian refinery has already begun reshaping fuel trade routes across Africa, with export data showing shipments climbing to 353,000 barrels per day in April from 168,000 barrels per day in February, with about half flowing to other African countries. The plant became the world’s largest jet fuel exporter in April, capitalising on supply disruptions linked to Middle East tensions.
The planned $46 billion investment across the group’s refining, cement, and fertiliser businesses signals Dangote’s long-term commitment to African industrialisation. As the company prepares for a planned stock market listing later in 2026, with a potential valuation of up to $50 billion, its expansion plans herald a new era for African energy independence and economic transformation.
