Nairobi, Kenya – Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has announced bold plans to construct a new 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery in East Africa, signaling a significant expansion of his refining operations beyond Nigeria. The announcement came during the "Africa We Build" summit in Nairobi, where Dangote expressed his company's readiness to replicate the scale and model of its successful Lagos-based refinery, provided there is strong policy alignment and support from regional governments.

Dangote's proposal aims to address the continent's heavy reliance on imported fuel and bolster industrial self-sufficiency. He emphasized that exporting raw materials while importing finished products is detrimental to Africa's economic growth. The potential refinery would serve a wide regional market, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with plans to leverage shared infrastructure to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

This initiative aligns with ongoing discussions among Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to establish a joint refining hub in Tanga, Tanzania. Dangote expressed confidence in the project's feasibility, drawing on his experience in delivering the 650,000bpd refinery in Nigeria, which has begun reshaping regional fuel markets and made Nigeria a fuel exporter.

Regional leaders, including Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, have reportedly backed the push for industrialization and reduced reliance on raw exports. Dangote suggested that the East African refinery could be operational within four to five years, contingent on agreements with regional governments.

In addition to the refinery expansion, Dangote also revealed that his group is expanding its Nigerian facility to a capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day, which would make it the largest refinery globally. The Dangote Group also has plans to establish approximately 20 fertilizer blending plants across Africa by 2028, further diversifying its continental industrial footprint.