Nigerian billionaire Dangote chooses Lamu in Kenya to build the world's sixth-largest refinery
Construction of this infrastructure is expected to take approximately 30 months in East Africa's largest economy.
Written by: Ayman Ragab
Edwin Devakumar, the Vice President overseeing oil and gas at Dangote Industries Limited, told AFP that the upcoming oil refinery in East Africa, with a planned production capacity of 700,000 barrels per day and backed by Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, will be built in Kenya, thus ending speculation about the project's location.
It was stated that this massive refinery, comparable to the large complex built by Dangote in Nigeria, will be located in Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya.
30 months to build the station
The construction of this infrastructure is expected to take approximately 30 months in East Africa's largest economy.
Tanzania was initially among the countries considered to host the refinery. Nigerian billionaire Dangote visited Tanzania in late June, where he met with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
He then explained to him “the commercial and technical considerations that led the group to decide to establish the East African refinery of the future in Lamu”, according to a statement issued by his office.
Tanzania was also invited to participate in investments in Lamu.
The Nigerian industrialist had previously indicated his preference for the Kenyan city of Mombasa, before finally announcing his choice of Lamu.
Dangote, which began operating its Nigerian refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day in 2024, owns the largest oil refining facility on the continent.
Sixth largest refinery in the world
Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, is the sixth largest refinery in the world, with a refining capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. Dangote plans to build a similar refinery in East Africa. (AFP)
The group plans to more than double this capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, which would make it the largest refinery in the world.
