EAC oil refinery plan unveils
The announcement was made by Dangote Industries’ Group Vice President for Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin, during a visit by a delegation from the Republic of the Congo’s national oil company to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos on July 1.
According to Edwin, 1.4 million barrels will be refined in Nigeria, while the 700,000 barrels will be refined in Kenya to serve the East African nation.
The move comes months after Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote Group, revealed plans to have a new African oil refinery in East Africa.
The firm was initially destined for Tanga port in Tanzania, but Dangote later shifted his focus to Kenya, particularly eyeing Mombasa and Lamu ports.
The shift was primarily driven by maritime practicality, superior infrastructure, and stronger market demand, according to the Nigerian entrepreneur.
Dangote later added the port of Lamu as one of the sites that could host the multibillion-dollar factory, but the team is working to define the most suitable location.
According to Kenyan President William Ruto, the governments of the region would also invest in the planned refinery, with Kenya designating seed capital of Ksh 21.5 billion towards the project.
With construction of the refinery set to begin later in 2026, President Ruto said the Dangote Group has yet to disclose whether it will be built in Mombasa or Lamu.
The announcement also comes as Kenya prepares to start commercial oil production from the South Lokichar Basin in Turkana County by the end of December 2026.
