The Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos is undergoing modifications to increase its nameplate capacity from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000bpd, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has confirmed.
Speaking during a tour of the facility in Lekki, Dangote explained that the upgrade, which is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter of 2025, has limited the refinery’s current ability to operate at full capacity. However, he expressed confidence that the enhancements would boost output beyond initial projections.
“Our RFCC [Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit] is at 85 per cent. We’re not at 100 per cent because of ongoing modifications. Once completed, we expect to hit 700,000bpd. Some other units are even running at 145 per cent capacity,” Dangote said.
The RFCC unit, a critical component in converting heavy crude into lighter, more valuable products such as gasoline and diesel, is central to the refinery’s operation.
Dangote disclosed that the refinery had purchased 19 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between June and July, with U.S. imports now accounting for 55 per cent of its feedstock needs. “This month alone, we bought 10 million barrels from the U.S.,” he revealed.
Reflecting on the refinery’s $20 billion journey, Dangote recalled that his attempt to acquire Nigeria’s state-owned refineries was blocked by former President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007 — a decision that eventually led him to embark on building Africa’s largest single-train refinery.
“Building a refinery is not like building a house. If I had known the challenges ahead, I probably wouldn’t have started. But we pushed through, and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved,” he said.
He also spoke candidly about the global politics of energy, noting that many African countries — apart from Algeria and Libya — still rely on imported fuels, making the refinery project all the more vital.
Dangote accused some foreign actors of undermining African industries through strategic importation, referencing the clustering of fuel tankers at ports like Lome. “This is how they attack our industries. Even in South Africa, only one refinery is still operating. We took the risk, and we’re delivering,” he said.
The refinery, when fully operational, is expected to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products and enhance energy security across the continent.
