Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has signalled plans to partner with Kenya and Uganda to build a major oil refinery in Tanzania.
The project would be modelled after his flagship 650,000 barrels-per-day facility in Nigeria.
Speaking at a conference on infrastructure financing in Nairobi on Thursday, Dangote said: “If they will support the refinery, we’ll build the identical one that we have in Nigeria.”
He struck an assured tone, adding: “It will work. There’s nothing that can stop it.” His remarks drew applause from participants, including Kenya’s President William Ruto and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni.
Dangote revealed that construction efforts tied to his refining vision are already underway. Early-stage piling works could scale up to 1.4 million barrels per day, potentially making it the largest refinery complex in the world.
“We’ll have about 10 per cent of the entire United States’ refining capacity,” he said. He explained that the refinery would integrate petrochemical production to support downstream industries.
Drawing lessons from Nigeria, Dangote pointed to polypropylene production as vital for industries ranging from cement packaging to food supply chains.
He warned that without local manufacturing, many businesses would struggle amid global price surges.
“That is why we must learn how to build self-sufficiency,” he said, stressing that Africa now has the financial institutions and human capital to execute large-scale projects.
Regional Integration And Policy Support
Dangote recalled securing a $478 million international loan in the early 2000s under steep domestic interest rates. Despite skepticism, he repaid ahead of schedule. “It is possible. Africans can do it. Let us not be scared,” he said.
He praised Uganda’s policy of limiting raw material exports, arguing: “Why take raw materials out and then bring back finished goods? We too have educated people. We have big financial institutions. It is not like before—things have changed.”
President Ruto confirmed that East African countries are discussing a joint refinery at Tanzania’s port of Tanga.
“We’re going to have a joint refinery in Tanga to benefit all of us because that refinery is going to take on board the oil from DRC, the oil from Kenya, the oil from sudan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">South Sudan, and the oil from Uganda,” he said.
If realised, the Tanzania refinery project would be a big step toward regional energy integration, reducing reliance on imports from the Middle East and positioning East Africa as a new petrochemical hub.
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