Raphael Kanu
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos is undergoing a major upgrade to boost its capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 700,000 barrels per day. The modification process, which adds an extra 50,000bpd to the facility, is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, revealed this during a tour of the $20 billion refinery in Lekki. He explained that while the refinery’s Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit is currently operating at 85 percent, the ongoing modifications will allow the plant to achieve full capacity.
“Our RFCC is at 85 percent. We are not at 100 percent because of some modifications, but by the end of the year, we will reach 700,000 bpd,” Dangote stated.
He added that some components of the refinery are performing beyond expectations, with certain units operating at up to 145 percent of their design capacity.
Dangote disclosed that the refinery has purchased 19 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between June and July 2025, with about 55 percent of its feedstock sourced from the US.
Reflecting on the project’s journey, Dangote noted that building the refinery was far more challenging than anticipated, but the goal of achieving energy security for Nigeria and Africa drove its completion.
“If I knew what we were going to face, I might not have started it. But we believed nothing is impossible,” he said.
Dangote also emphasized the importance of having a functional refinery in Africa, given that most countries on the continent remain dependent on fuel imports.
“Apart from Algeria and Libya, technically everyone else is an importer,” he observed, criticizing foreign players who, he said, use importation to undermine African industries.