Dangote Plans 650,000 BPD East Africa Refinery Expansion

Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man, unveiled plans to construct a 650,000 barrel per day refinery in East Africa, signaling an ambitious expansion of his refining footprint beyond Nigeria. This announcement was made during the Africa Build Summit in Nairobi, where he sought support from East African governments to replicate the scale of his Nigerian refinery.

The project aims to reshape fuel supply in the region, with discussions ongoing among Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to establish a joint refining hub in Tanga. Dangote expressed confidence in the project's feasibility, citing his experience with the Nigerian refinery, which has a capacity of 650,000 bpd.

He noted that the expansion in Nigeria to 1.4 million bpd would create the largest refinery globally. The East African refinery is expected to be operational within four to five years, contingent on agreements with three to four regional governments.

Kenyan President William Ruto confirmed ongoing discussions to collaborate on the refinery, which will facilitate a steady supply of crude oil from neighboring countries.