According to a report by the Financial Times, Dangote said he is leaning towards Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa for the proposed 650,000-barrel-a-day refinery, citing its strategic maritime advantages.
“I’m leaning more towards Mombasa because Mombasa has a much larger, deeper port,” Dangote said in an interview cited by the publication.
The Nigerian billionaire also pointed to Kenya’s market size and consumption levels as key factors influencing his preference, comparing the country favourably to neighbouring Tanzania, which had also been floated as a potential host.
“Kenyans consume more. It’s a bigger economy,” he said, adding that the final decision would depend on political backing from regional leaders. “The ball is in the hands of President Ruto. Whatever President Ruto says is what I’ll do.”
Regional race for refinery hub
The remarks come amid growing debate in East Africa over where to establish a joint regional refinery, a project aimed at reducing reliance on imported fuel and strengthening energy security.
Last month, Kenyan President William Ruto revealed that East African countries were discussing plans for a shared refinery at the Tanzanian port of Tanga, modelled on Dangote’s landmark Nigerian refinery. The proposal, unveiled during the Africa We Build Summit in Nairobi, envisions processing crude oil from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.
Ruto also outlined plans for an interconnected infrastructure system, including a pipeline linking Tanga to Mombasa and jointly owned regional energy infrastructure with Uganda.
The issue briefly came back into focus during President Ruto’s state visit to Dar es Salaam on May 4, 2026, when President Samia Suluhu expressed concern over the way the earlier announcement had been handled, saying she was not aware of the Tanga plans, creating a light but noticeable moment of diplomatic unease between the two East African neighbours.
Dangote’s potential investment comes at a time when East Africa continues to rely entirely on imported refined petroleum products, primarily from the Middle East. This dependence has left the region exposed to global supply disruptions and price volatility, particularly during geopolitical tensions such as the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran.
The Nigerian industrialist said he is ready to replicate the scale of his Lagos-based refinery in East Africa, provided there is sufficient government support and regional coordination.
At a recent infrastructure summit in Nairobi, he reiterated his willingness to invest in the region, signalling that his decision would ultimately depend on policy alignment and political commitment from host governments.
If realised, the proposed refinery would mark one of the largest private energy investments in Africa and could significantly alter fuel supply dynamics across the continent’s fastest-growing economic region.
Leave a Reply