Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled plans to partner with Kenya and Uganda to build a major oil refinery in Tanzania, modelled after his 650,000 barrels-per-day facility in Nigeria.
Dangote disclosed this during an infrastructure financing conference in Nairobi, where he joined regional leaders including Kenya’s President William Ruto and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. He said the project would depend largely on political support from participating countries.
“If they support the refinery, we will build the same one we have in Nigeria,” he said, expressing confidence that the initiative would succeed.
The proposed refinery is part of Dangote’s broader ambition to transform Africa’s energy landscape through large-scale industrial projects. He revealed that preliminary construction activities tied to his refining expansion are already underway, with early groundwork that could scale production capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day. If achieved, this would rank among the largest refinery complexes globally.
Dangote noted that such capacity could account for about 10 percent of the United States’ total refining output. He added that the refinery would integrate petrochemical production to support industries across the continent.
Drawing from Nigeria’s experience, he stressed the importance of local production in shielding economies from global shocks. He cited polypropylene as an example, noting that its availability supports sectors such as manufacturing and food packaging, especially during periods of global price volatility.
He framed the East African refinery plan as part of a broader push for self-sufficiency, arguing that Africa now has the financial and human resources needed to execute large-scale projects. He also referenced past financing challenges, including a $478 million loan his company secured and repaid ahead of schedule, as proof that such ambitions are achievable.
Kenya’s President William Ruto confirmed that discussions are ongoing for a joint refinery in Tanzania’s port city of Tanga. According to him, the facility would process crude oil from multiple countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda.
If realised, the project could significantly reduce East Africa’s reliance on imported refined petroleum products and strengthen regional energy security.
