The expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day will lead to a significant increase in polypropylene production from 900,000 metric tonnes to 2.4 million metric tonnes per annum.
The capacity expansion will make the refinery the largest refinery in the world upon completion, surpassing India’s Jamnagar Refinery.
President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, stated this during a press conference on Sunday in Lagos.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expanding its capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, making it the largest refinery in the world, surpassing India’s Jamnagar Refinery,” he stated.
He said the increase in polypropylene production will further boost the production of linear alkylbenzene, a key ingredient for the production of detergents, and additional production of base oils.
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He said the expansion work will create 65,000 jobs during construction and open vast opportunities for local industries, adding that over 85 per cent of the workforce will be Nigerian.
The billionaire industrialist, who was joined by the Chairman of First Bank, Femi Otedola, during the media briefing, revealed that the refinery will also upgrade the petroleum products standards to Euro VI fuel, achieving the top-tier global environmental benchmarks.
Speaking on the economic benefits of the expansion project, Dangote said it will save billions in foreign exchange, reduce import dependence, and boost Nigeria’s drive to achieve energy security.
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Dangote expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government for coming up with policies such as Nigeria’s First, Naira-for-Crude, and One-Stop Shop. These, according to him, have boosted the drive for industrialisation in the country.
“These policies are driving a revolution in Nigeria’s downstream sector, promoting domestic refining and export of finished petroleum products.”
He noted that the federal government played a key role in mediating the recent disputes between the refinery unions, which led to some disruptions at the facility.
According to him, the move to expand the refinery’s production aligns with President Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria to emerge as a major global supplier of petroleum products.
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Energy self-sufficiency
He further stressed that capacity expansion will also amount to ramping up power generation capacity growth, ensuring complete operational self-reliance.
Product Availability
He assured a steady supply of refined products nationwide, especially during the festive season, despite the global oil price surge, to prevent fuel queues and price hikes.
On the future ownership plan, he said that 10 per cent of Dangote Refinery & Petrochemical shares will be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
On his part, Otedola said Dangote is making legacy investments that will define generations.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in Mass Communication. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X
