Aliko Dangote, the head of the Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, has announced ambitious intentions to expand the reach of his continent-transforming refinery beyond Nigeria. The Dangote Refinery, with a world-leading capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), seeks to become a significant exporter of refined products throughout Africa, with a potential reach as far as Brazil.
Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, Dangote described the refinery’s capabilities to produce a wide range of refined products, including gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. This capacity not only meets Nigeria’s internal needs, but also establishes the refinery as a major participant in African and international markets.
“We started producing jet fuel, then diesel, and by next month, we’ll be producing gasoline,” Dangote said. “Our capability is too large for Nigeria. It will be able to supply West Africa, Central Africa, and maybe Southern Africa.”
The refinery’s innovative technology enables it to process a wide variety of crude oils, maintaining a consistent supply of refined products across multiple locations. The next phase of growth is planned for early 2025, with increased output and distribution networks.
Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of TotalEnergies, a major crude producer in Nigeria with Shell and ExxonMobil, has confirmed a key supply agreement with Dangote Refinery, assuring crude oil deliveries to the $20 billion complex. “We met with Dangote and their trading head, and we found a way to solidify a deal,” Pouyanne said, emphasizing the strategic collaboration. This agreement emphasizes the refinery’s vital role in the region’s energy grid.
The Dangote Petrochemical Complex, located on the outskirts of Lagos, represents a huge step forward in Nigeria’s economic growth. Beyond its refining capabilities, the complex has a 1-million-metric-tonne-per-year polypropylene factory and two of Africa’s largest fertilizer trains, with a combined annual capacity of 3 million tonnes of urea.
Dangote Oil Refinery stresses environmental responsibility. It has a closed-loop process water system, generates 50MW of power from waste heat, and uses greener Euro-V fuels. Furthermore, the refinery employs cutting-edge carbon capture technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and offset the environmental impact of crude oil transportation.
The $20.5 billion Dangote Oil Refinery already supplies petroleum products to the local market. The refinery’s recent offer for 24 million barrels of US crude oil over the next year demonstrates its ambition to become a key player in global crude and fuel markets.
