Dangote Eyes East Africa Refinery Partnership with Kenya, Uganda

Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, is spearheading an ambitious plan to reshape the continent's energy landscape, announcing intentions to collaborate with Kenya and Uganda on a massive oil refinery project in Tanzania. This venture, inspired by his flagship 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Nigeria, signals a significant push towards regional industrialization and energy independence.

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If they will support the refinery, we’ll build the identical one that we have in Nigeria.

Speaking at a conference in Nairobi, alongside regional leaders including Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Dangote expressed strong confidence in the project's success, contingent on political support. He envisions a facility that could potentially rival global benchmarks, with early-stage construction already underway for a capacity that could scale up to 1.4 million barrels per day. This would not only meet regional demand but also position East Africa as a major player in the global refining market.

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It will work. There’s nothing that can stop it.

Dangote highlighted the critical lessons learned from his Nigerian operations, particularly the role of local manufacturing in insulating economies from global price shocks. He pointed to the production of polypropylene as a vital component for various downstream industries, emphasizing how local capacity can prevent supply chain disruptions, as seen during recent price surges for the material. This focus on value addition within Africa is central to his vision.

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We’ll have about 10 per cent of the entire United States’ refining capacity.

Drawing on his own experiences with financing challenges, Dangote urged African nations and institutions to embrace large-scale projects, asserting that the continent possesses the necessary financial and human capital. He recounted overcoming initial skepticism from international lenders to repay a significant loan ahead of schedule, serving as a testament to African capability. "It is possible. Africans can do it. Let us not be scared," he declared, aiming to inspire greater confidence in homegrown initiatives and partnerships across the continent.

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That is why we must learn how to build self-sufficiency.