DANGOTE REFINERY
Africa’s largest single-train refinery undergoes key modifications as Dangote Group secures 19 million barrels of U.S. crude, targets full operational scale by Q4 2025.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, is undergoing a critical upgrade to boost its nameplate refining capacity from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000bpd, with completion targeted for the fourth quarter of 2025.
President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, disclosed the development during a recent tour of the $20 billion facility, which is Africa’s largest single-train refinery. He stated that while full operational capacity will not be reached in 2025 due to ongoing modifications, the upgrades are expected to significantly elevate the refinery’s output.
“Our Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit is currently operating at 85 per cent. Some departments are even running at up to 145 per cent efficiency. Once these upgrades are complete by year-end, we expect to reach 700,000bpd, not just 650,000,” Dangote revealed.
The RFCC unit plays a crucial role in refining by converting heavy oil residue into lighter, high-value products such as gasoline, diesel, and LPG.
To support the refinery’s current operations, the Dangote Group has imported 19 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between June and July 2025 alone. Dangote noted that the U.S. currently supplies about 55 per cent of the refinery’s crude requirements, with 10 million barrels purchased in July.
Reflecting on the project's journey, Dangote admitted that building the refinery was far more complex than anticipated. “If I had known the challenges we would face, I probably wouldn’t have started. But it shows that nothing is impossible,” he said.
He emphasized that the decision to proceed, despite mounting difficulties, was fueled by the need to ensure Africa’s energy self-sufficiency, especially in a continent where most countries, apart from Algeria and Libya, rely heavily on imported fuel.
Dangote also criticized foreign economic tactics that undermine African industries. “If you visit Lome, Togo, you’ll see a sea of ships offloading imported products, this is how they attack African industries. Even South Africa now has only one operational refinery,” he said.
The decision to build the refinery, he added, stemmed from the failure of an earlier attempt to acquire government-owned refineries in 2007, which was halted under the late President Umar Yar’Adua. That turning point led to the bold choice to invest in new infrastructure; an effort Dangote believes is already reshaping Africa’s energy landscape.
“As a continent, we cannot keep importing everything. We took a risk, and we’re proving it was the right decision,” he concluded.
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