By Kazeem Waris
Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto has described the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a “masterpiece of science, engineering and art” following his tour of the 700,000-barrels-per-day facility in Lagos.
Ruto, who visited the refinery after attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to partnering with Dangote Group on the proposed $17 billion East African Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Lamu.
The Kenyan President said his firsthand assessment of the scale and sophistication of the Nigerian refinery had strengthened his confidence in the proposed East African project.
“Coming here and seeing it for myself, I can confirm that I have seen a masterpiece of science, engineering, with art. To my brother Aliko, congratulations. I always knew Nigerians to be very brave people and go-getters, but I did not anticipate that it was at this scale,” Ruto said.
He disclosed that preparations had been concluded for the groundbreaking of the proposed Lamu refinery, describing the project as a potential strategic asset for Kenya and the wider East African region.
According to him, the refinery is expected to support industrialisation, create jobs, strengthen engineering and technical capacity, improve energy security and deepen regional economic integration.
“This is not a Kenyan refinery; it is going to be a regional refinery. We are positioning our continent as an emerging growth centre, and this project will help accelerate industrialisation, create jobs, enhance engineering capabilities and strengthen Africa’s economic competitiveness,” he said.
Kenya pledges support for Lamu project
Ruto said the Kenyan government was committed to removing administrative and bureaucratic obstacles that could delay the project.
“The Government of Kenya is 100 per cent behind this project. We have secured the required land and are working to ensure that we spend our time building rather than navigating administrative delays,” he said.
The Kenyan leader also praised Dangote Group President and Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote, for his understanding of the refinery’s technical and operational processes.
“The detail with which Aliko Dangote understands this plant is remarkable. Unless you understand the details, you are unable to make the right decisions. That commitment to excellence is one of the reasons behind the success of this project,” Ruto said.
Dangote targets $36bn full-year revenue
Meanwhile, Dangote Group said it generated approximately $17 billion in revenue in the first half of 2026 and was on course to achieve about $36 billion for the full year.
The figure, disclosed by the Group’s Chief Strategy Officer, Aliyu Suleiman, represents a potential doubling of the $18 billion revenue recorded in 2025.
“The revenues of the Group have grown significantly over the last five years. From $18 billion last year, we are on track to get to $36 billion this year. Our half-year revenue is already about $17 billion,” Suleiman said.
He attributed the growth to sustained investments across the group’s major businesses, including cement, sugar, fertiliser, petroleum refining, upstream oil and gas and other strategic ventures.
Suleiman said the group’s expansion was being driven by its Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to deepen Dangote’s industrial footprint across Africa and build globally competitive African businesses.
Group plans $100bn African industrial enterprise
According to him, Dangote Group invested approximately $50 billion in capital expenditure between 2020 and 2025 and plans to invest about twice that amount over the next five years.
“Between 2020 and 2025, the Group executed a capital expenditure programme of approximately $50 billion. Over the next five years, we intend to invest twice that amount as we accelerate our expansion across Africa,” he said.
Suleiman identified the proposed Lamu refinery as one of the major projects expected to contribute to the group’s long-term ambition of building a $100 billion African industrial enterprise.
“The East African refinery in Kenya is going to be a key component of our journey and our dream to get to $100 billion. It is going to be a major contributor,” he said.
The group’s expansion programme, he explained, covers several strategic sectors, including port and gas infrastructure, liquefied natural gas (LNG), upstream oil and gas, power generation, mining and other industrial investments across the continent.
$450m contract signed for Lamu refinery
As part of preparations for the Lamu project, Dangote Group has signed a contract valued at more than $450 million with Engineers India Limited (EIL) for project management consultancy and engineering, procurement and construction management services.
The partnership draws on EIL’s experience in the development of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.
When completed, the proposed East African refinery is expected to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The project is positioned as a major regional energy and industrial infrastructure investment.
Dangote plans to double Lagos refinery capacity
Dangote Group is also advancing plans to expand the processing capacity of its Lagos refinery from 700,000 barrels per day to approximately 1.4 million barrels per day.
The planned expansion involves the addition of a new 750,000-barrels-per-day crude distillation unit.
The company expects the expansion to increase Nigeria’s refining capacity, support exports of refined petroleum products and contribute to greater energy self-sufficiency in Africa.
