Aliko Dangote has pledged to replicate his 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery in East Africa, signaling an ambitious expansion drive backed by regional leaders.
Speaking at the 2026 Africa We Build Summit in Nairobi, Dangote said: “I can give commitment to the two presidents that were here, if they support the refinery, we will build the identical one that we have in Nigeria.”
He stressed the urgency for Africa to embrace industrial self-reliance, warning against overdependence on imports. “It is possible — Africans can do it. Let us not be scared,” he said.
Dangote also revealed that work is already underway to scale up his Nigerian refinery to 1.4 million bpd, a move that could make it the largest in the world. “We are building that one to scale 1.4 million barrels a day… we have already started piling,” he added.
At the same event, William Ruto disclosed that East African nations are considering a joint refinery project in Tanga to process crude from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda.
“We’re going to have a joint refinery in Tanga to benefit all of us because that refinery is going to take on board the oil from the DRC, the oil from Kenya, the oil from South Sudan, and the oil from Uganda,” Ruto said.
Dangote noted that strengthening local production capacity would shield African economies from global supply shocks and price volatility, citing Nigeria’s progress in petrochemicals and manufacturing as proof of what is possible.
If realised, the East African refinery would mark a major milestone in Dangote’s continental expansion strategy, as his group also pushes fertiliser investments across Africa and plans a pan-African IPO to support a $40 billion growth vision.
