LAGOS, Nigeria: Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto has toured the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos State, as Kenya prepares to launch the construction of a larger refinery project in Lamu.
Ruto visited the Nigerian facility at the invitation of Dangote Group President and Chief Executive Officer Aliko Dangote, ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu, Kenya, scheduled for next week.
The Kenyan president said the visit provided an opportunity to examine the operations of one of Africa’s largest refinery investments and draw lessons ahead of the planned project in Kenya.
The Dangote Refinery has a crude oil refining capacity of 700,000 barrels per day and produces more than 100 million litres of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel daily.
The facility is supported by about 120 kilometres of subsea pipelines and cables used to transport crude oil from vessels to the refinery.
Ruto described the Nigerian project as an example of what African governments, investors and financial institutions can achieve through cooperation and large scale investment.
“The refinery whose construction we launch in Kenya next week will be bigger,” Ruto said.
According to the Kenyan president, the planned refinery in Lamu is expected to reshape Kenya’s petroleum industry while strengthening fuel supply and energy security across the country and the wider East African region.
The project is also expected to support Kenya’s industrialisation programme and create about 60,000 jobs.
Ruto said the refinery would also generate opportunities for additional industries once it becomes operational.
“when the refinery is completed, spin off industries will emerge, including the production of fertilisers, chemicals, and packaging,” he said.
The planned Lamu refinery forms part of Kenya’s efforts to expand its petroleum infrastructure, increase domestic refining capacity and create new industrial opportunities around the energy sector.
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