LAGOS, Nigeria — President William Ruto has toured the Dangote Refinery in Lagos ahead of the planned groundbreaking of the Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, next week.
Ruto visited the facility in Lekki, Lagos State, at the invitation of Dangote Group President and CEO Aliko Dangote as Kenya prepares to launch construction of the proposed refinery.
The President said the Nigerian facility offered an example of what African governments, investors, and financial institutions could achieve through collaboration.
Dangote Refinery Produces 700,000 Barrels a Day
Ruto described the Dangote Refinery as a major investment with a crude oil refining capacity of 700,000 barrels per day.
According to the President, the facility produces more than 100 million litres of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel every day.
The refinery has also constructed 120 kilometres of subsea pipelines to transport crude oil from ships to the facility.
Ruto said the scale of the Nigerian investment demonstrated the potential for large industrial projects to transform Africa’s energy sector.
Lamu Refinery Set to Be Bigger
Ruto said the refinery planned for Lamu would be larger than the Nigerian facility once completed.
He said the construction of the Dangote East African Refinery would transform Kenya’s petroleum sector while strengthening fuel reliability and energy security across the region.
The project is also expected to support industrialisation by creating additional demand for infrastructure, logistics, and other businesses linked to the petroleum industry.
Refinery Expected to Create 60,000 Jobs
According to Ruto, the Lamu refinery is expected to create 60,000 jobs.
The President said the project would provide opportunities for Kenyans while supporting wider economic activity around the refinery and associated industries.
The planned investment is also expected to strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional energy and industrial hub.
Fertiliser, Chemical Industries Expected
Ruto said the refinery could trigger the development of several spin-off industries once it becomes operational.
These could include manufacturing facilities producing fertilisers, chemicals and packaging materials.
The emergence of such industries, he said, would expand the economic impact of the refinery beyond fuel production and create additional opportunities for investment and employment.
Ruto Links Kenya, Nigeria Industrial Ambitions
The President said his visit to the Dangote Refinery demonstrated the importance of partnerships between African governments and private investors in delivering major industrial projects.
He described the Nigerian refinery as a “huge achievement” and said its success provided lessons for Kenya as the country prepares to launch its own major refining project.
