Dangote Petroleum Refinery to Expand to 1.4 Million Barrels Per Day — Aiming for World’s Largest Refinery

Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced plans to more than double its production capacity—from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.4 million bpd—within the next three years, a move that would make it the largest refinery in the world.

Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Ltd, confirmed the expansion at a briefing in Lagos, emphasising the ambition not only to scale capacity but to position Nigeria and Africa as a hub for refined petroleum products.

He outlined several key developments:

• The upgrade will elevate the refinery’s refining train to surpass India’s Jamnagar Refinery, currently among the largest globally.
• Enhancement of petrochemical outputs: polypropylene production will increase from 900,000 to 2.4 million metric tonnes annually.
• Upgrade to global fuel standards: production will transition from Euro V to Euro VI quality; power generation capacity at the site will be increased to 1,000 MW.
• Major job creation: The expansion is expected to require around 65,000 workers, with more than 85% of the workforce being Nigerian.
• The expansion comes amid Nigeria’s broader industrialisation push and energy‐sector reform framework under the current administration. Dangote described the project as a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s economic future and Africa’s potential to control its own energy destiny.

Strategic Impact

Once completed, the refinery is set to:

• Significantly reduce Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports and conserve foreign exchange.

• Generate an estimated $55 billion in annual turnover, marking one of the continent’s most valuable industrial assets. Accelerate downstream development, local content, and technology transfer in Africa’s refining and petrochemical sectors.

Timeline & Financing

The expansion phase is expected to take three years, supported by internal financing, strategic equity-sales (up to 10% stake) and infrastructure funding—Dangote is reportedly seeking up to $5 billion in financing from the African Export‑Import Bank (Afreximbank).