LAMU, Kenya — Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was absent from Wednesday’s groundbreaking of the Sh2 trillion Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu as she mourns the death of her husband.
Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote sent a message of condolence to the Tanzanian leader during the high-profile ceremony attended by several African leaders and their representatives.
Among those present were Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Benin President Romuald Wadagni and Togo President Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové.
“I also want to send a special message of condolence to our sister, Her Excellency the President of Tanzania, as she mourns the passing of her dear husband. May the Almighty Allah bless his soul and comfort the family,” Dangote said.
He also thanked the African leaders and representatives who attended the groundbreaking, saying their presence demonstrated continental support for the project.
Suluhu And Kenya-Tanzania Refinery Talks
Suluhu’s absence comes against the backdrop of previous discussions between Kenya and Tanzania over regional energy infrastructure.
The Tanzanian president had earlier engaged President William Ruto over a proposed refinery in Tanga.
During Ruto’s visit to Tanzania, Suluhu publicly questioned the Kenyan President over his earlier announcement concerning the proposed Tanga refinery.
Ruto subsequently explained the regional thinking behind the proposal, while Dangote later said feasibility studies had identified Lamu as the preferred location for his refinery.
At Wednesday’s ceremony, Dangote said the support from African leaders showed that the continent could work together to develop major projects.
He said the group had earmarked $50 billion for investments across Africa under its current expansion plan, which runs until 2030.
“To your excellencies that are here, our African leaders, our group has actually earmarked $50 billion to roll out projects under our current plan, which ends in 2030,” Dangote said.
“All you have to do is tell us what you want, and our team will be ready to work with you and deliver it,” he added.
Refinery To Process 700,000 Barrels A Day
The Lamu refinery is designed to process about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity.
Dangote said the facility will also produce one million tonnes of polypropylene and base oil, with the project expected to support an industrial ecosystem spanning energy, petrochemicals, logistics, engineering, manufacturing and marine services.
The businessman also announced plans to establish a training school in Lamu that will train 1,000 local people for opportunities expected to emerge from the refinery and related industries.
Dangote has set a 40-month target for completion of the refinery and said he expected African leaders who attended the groundbreaking to return to Lamu for its commissioning.
Dangote Pays Tribute To Obasanjo
Dangote also paid tribute to former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who attended the groundbreaking after travelling from London.
He thanked Obasanjo for cutting short his trip to attend the ceremony, describing his presence as a demonstration of support for the project.
The Lamu refinery is expected to anchor wider investments in energy and related industries, with Dangote signalling plans to work with African governments on projects aimed at expanding infrastructure, industrialisation and economic integration.
