The Dangote Group has announced plans to expand its petroleum refinery capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, in a move aimed at boosting production, lowering costs, and strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.
The disclosure was made on Wednesday at the Dangote Special Day during the 37th Enugu International Trade Fair, where the Regional Director, South East, Dangote Cement Plc, Olatunbosun Jinadu, represented the President of the group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Jinadu said the expansion forms part of the company’s broader “Vision 2030” growth strategy, which is designed to tackle key challenges facing businesses in Nigeria, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
He stated: “Under this vision, we have signed agreement to expand our petroleum refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day capacity. This is to double production capacity and take advantage of economies of scale.”
He explained that the strategy focuses on consolidation, industrial expansion, and cross-border investments, all aimed at enhancing Africa’s self-sufficiency in critical sectors.
“This growth plan focuses on consolidation, industrial expansion and cross-border investments that will deepen Africa’s self-sufficiency in critical sectors such as energy, manufacturing and infrastructure,” he said.
“Vision 2030 was borne out of our founder’s firm belief that Africa’s future will be built by Africans who refuse to accept limits—people who dream big, work hard, and never stop believing in what is possible.”
Jinadu noted that high production costs—especially in energy, raw materials, and infrastructure—remain major constraints to the global competitiveness of Nigerian MSMEs, stressing that Dangote’s investments are targeted at easing these bottlenecks.
Beyond refining, he revealed that the group is scaling up operations across other business lines, including fertiliser and petrochemicals.
“We are expanding the fertiliser plant capacity to 12 million metric tonnes per annum. The polypropylene plant is also undergoing expansion as demand for the products continues to be on the increase,” he said.
He highlighted the wide industrial applications of polypropylene, ranging from packaging and textiles to automotive, medical, and construction uses, noting that increased local production would support multiple sectors of the economy.
According to him, the Dangote Refinery remains a flagship project driving local content development in Nigeria’s energy sector.
“The refinery stimulates local supply chains by engaging Nigerian contractors, engineers, technicians, and service providers. It is creating thousands of jobs while supporting skills development and technology transfer,” he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, President of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, commended Dangote Group for its continued support of the trade fair and its contributions to Nigeria’s economy.
He said: “Dangote Plc has added a lot of value to the growth of the Nigerian economy, operating in almost every sector… While we commend your imprints in the South East, we pray that Dangote Plc will site one of its plants in the region.”
On the refinery, Onyemelukwe expressed optimism that the project would help address challenges in Nigeria’s downstream sector.