Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has affirmed that the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery is fully capable of meeting the petroleum needs of Nigeria and the wider West African region. He made this known during a high-profile visit to the refinery by ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray.
Leading the ECOWAS delegation on a tour of the facility, Dangote outlined the challenges and achievements behind the creation of the world’s largest single-train refinery. He emphasized that the project is proof Africa can produce at scale and to global standards, countering the notion that the continent must rely on imports for progress.
“As long as we keep importing what we can produce, development will remain elusive,” Dangote said. “This refinery shows that Africans can build for Africa.”
Dangote addressed concerns over the refinery’s capacity, stating it has already begun reducing the cost of fuel across sectors. He cited the significant drop in diesel prices from ₦1,700 to ₦1,100 since local production began, which has positively impacted industries such as agriculture and mining.
He further noted that Nigerians are currently paying far less for petrol—₦815 to ₦820 per litre—compared to neighbouring countries, where prices average $1 (₦1,600) per litre. “This is a direct benefit of local refining, which not only improves affordability but strengthens energy security,” he said.
Dr. Touray lauded the refinery as a symbol of hope and industrial potential for Africa. “This facility is a vision of what our continent should pursue,” he remarked, describing the scale and sophistication as beyond expectation.
Touray stressed the refinery’s strategic importance, especially in meeting ECOWAS’s 50ppm sulphur content fuel standard—something many imported fuels fail to achieve. He called for stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector, urging policymakers to engage directly with industrial leaders to understand their realities.
“Our visit is not just symbolic—it’s a listening mission,” Touray said. “The private sector must be central to Africa’s industrialisation, job creation, and poverty eradication.”
He pledged ECOWAS support to help Dangote Group expand into wider regional markets and urged other African nations to emulate Nigeria’s example by investing in infrastructure that drives continent-wide development.