Africa's richest man taps India-owned firm for $16 billion refinery in Kenya

Aliko Dangote has brought in Engineers India to oversee his planned refinery and petrochemical complex in Lamu, Kenya. The move expands his refining push into East Africa as he targets stronger regional fuel supply.Aliko Dangote is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group. (Photo: Reuters)Africa's richest person, Aliko Dangote, has brought in an Indian government-owned engineering firm to help build his planned 16 billion dollar refinery in Kenya. According to Bloomberg, Engineers India Ltd (EIL), which is majority-owned by the Indian government, has signed a 450 million dollar deal with Dangote to oversee the construction of the planned refinery and petrochemical complex in Lamu, a coastal town in Kenya.The greenfield facility is expected to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.$16 BILLION PROJECT TO BEGIN THIS MONTHDangote plans to begin construction of the refinery by the end of September. The project is expected to cost about 16 billion dollars when completed.EIL said the Kenyan facility could play a major role in meeting the region's energy needs. "Once completed, this project will be critical in strengthening fuel production within East Africa, reducing reliance on imports, and supporting regional energy security," Engineers India said in a filing with the Mumbai stock exchange, cited by Bloomberg.The deal also gives EIL a significant role in another major Dangote energy project. The Indian company previously served as a consultant for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals complex in Lagos and is overseeing its ongoing expansion. The Kenya refinery will add to Dangote's growing presence in Africa's oil and energy sector.His Lagos refinery, which has a current capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is planned to double its capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2029. The Lamu project would extend Dangote's refining footprint from the Atlantic coast to the Indian Ocean.The businessman also plans to build a pipeline connecting Lamu with Ethiopia, along with another link between Djibouti and Ethiopia. The projects form part of a broader plan for a 4,000-kilometre pipeline network linking landlocked countries in the region.Dangote, whose net worth is estimated at 35.5 billion dollars on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, plans to invest as much as 50 billion dollars over the next four years to expand his business empire across Africa.The expansion comes as he targets $100 billion in revenue for the Dangote Group by 2030.- EndsPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Sep 24, 2026 00:28 IST