Dangote Group is set to commence construction of its proposed $17 billion oil refinery in Kenya by the end of September, with the project expected to be completed within three years.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed this on Monday during the launch of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals IPO in Lagos.
The planned refinery will be located in Lamu on Kenya’s coast and is expected to expand Dangote’s refining operations from West Africa into East Africa.
He said construction of the Refinery would begin before the end of September as part of the group’s broader strategy to expand its energy investments across the continent.
The project represents a major expansion of the group’s refining footprint beyond Nigeria and is expected to extend its operations to the Indian Ocean region.
Dangote also disclosed plans for additional energy infrastructure in southern Africa, including a proposed 2,650-kilometre pipeline linking Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
He said another pipeline project extending to Zimbabwe was also being pursued, with work expected to begin next month.
The proposed Kenyan refinery is part of Dangote Group’s wider African expansion strategy. In August, East African countries were offered a combined 30% equity stake in the project, with Kenya proposed to take a 10% stake while Ethiopia and Rwanda had also expressed interest.
The latest timeline represents an acceleration from an earlier estimate that the refinery could take about five years to complete.
Dangote said the opportunities available across Africa remained significant and that the company would continue investing in the continent’s energy infrastructure.
