The Dangote Group has started construction to expand its refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, making it the biggest in the world.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, announced this on Oct. 26 during a press briefing in Lagos. He was with his friend, Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman of First Bank.
Dangote said the company signed a deal with the technology licensor for the expansion. “We are expanding the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day. Upon completion, this will make it the largest refinery in the world, surpassing the Jamnagar Refinery in India,” he said.
He added that the work will finish in three years.
The businessman thanked President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government for their support in Nigeria’s industrial growth. He praised policies like the Nigeria First policy, Naira-for-crude policy, and One-stop Shop, which have brought big changes to the downstream sector. These policies push for processing all crude locally and exporting only finished products.
Even with current crude shortages, Dangote is hopeful the Federal Government will supply crude to the single-train refinery. He recalled the government’s role in fixing recent union issues and sabotage attempts at the refinery.
The expansion shows the company’s trust in Nigeria’s future, Africa’s strength, and its aim to build energy self-reliance for Africa and the world. “It is also about confidence in Nigeria, in Africa, and in our capacity to shape our own energy future. It is the dream of President Bola Tinubu for Nigeria to emerge as one of the major suppliers of petroleum products in the world. And with his strong backing through previously stated policies, we are taking on the challenge to make this happen,” he added.
Africa’s richest man said the expansion meets rising demand in the region, cuts import needs, saves billions in foreign exchange, and boosts Nigeria’s energy security.
He noted that 65,000 workers will be needed for construction, with 85 percent Nigerians. The refinery will also increase power from 500 megawatts to 1,000 MW, after signing with the technology licensor.
“With this expansion, we would require 65,000 workers during construction; such a project will further unlock opportunities for local industries. We will also be expanding our polypropylene production from 900,000 metric tonnes to 2.4 million metric tonnes per annum. This will further enrich the production of linear alkylbenzene, a key ingredient for the production of detergents, and the additional production of base oils. With this expansion, the refinery transitions from producing Euro V to Euro VI fuel standards, meeting the highest global environmental benchmarks, and expands power generation capacity, ensuring full operational self-sufficiency. Over 85 per cent of our workforce will be Nigerian, with ongoing investment in skills and technology transfer,” he said.
In the next year, Dangote plans to list 10 percent of refinery shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange for wider ownership and clear markets. “Therefore, we call on all Nigerians to seize this window, to benefit from this golden opportunity. Our long-term goal remains clear: to build Africa’s leading integrated energy and petrochemical hub, the first of its kind on the continent,” he said.
As Christmas nears, Dangote promised steady fuel supply. “As we approach the end of the year, Nigerians often face fuel shortages, long queues, and arbitrary price increases that cause great hardship for travellers and businesses alike. In the last three days, we have witnessed an 8 per cent spike in the global oil price. I want to assure Nigerians that the Dangote refinery is fully committed to maintaining an uninterrupted supply of petrol throughout the festive period. Our goal is to ensure consistent product flow at stable prices, eliminating the disruptions and exploitation that have become common during the ember months,” he added.
He urged holders of the other 30 refinery licences to join President Tinubu’s vision of making Nigeria Africa’s refining centre.
The Dangote refinery began operations in 2024, ending Nigeria’s long reliance on fuel imports. The country now exports fuel to places like Saudi Arabia and the United States.
