Ruto tours Dangote Refinery in Nigeria ahead of Lamu plant groundbreaking

President William Ruto has taken a closer look at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Nigeria, ahead of the planned launch of the much larger industrial project being developed in Lamu, Kenya.

The visit came at the invitation of Dangote Group President and CEO Aliko Dangote as final preparations gather pace for the Kenyan refinery.

The Lekki facility is a useful reference point for what Dangote is seeking to build on Kenya’s coast.

The Nigerian refinery has a nameplate capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day and is an integrated complex combining refining, storage, marine infrastructure and petrochemicals.

Dangote says its crude processing unit currently has capacity of about 687,643 barrels per day, with the plant designed around the 700,000-barrel level.

The Nigerian refinery is the model

The Lekki project was built around a deepwater jetty, crude-processing facilities, storage and distribution infrastructure, giving Dangote an integrated route from crude receipt to delivery of refined products.

The company says the refinery produces products including petrol, diesel and aviation fuel, alongside petrochemicals.

Ruto’s visit is significant because the same broad industrial logic is being attached to the proposed East Africa Refinery in Lamu.

Rather than simply producing fuel, the Kenyan project is being positioned as the centre of a wider energy, petrochemical, storage, logistics and manufacturing complex.

Lamu refinery set for September 30

Kenya and Dangote have set September 30, 2026 for the groundbreaking of the proposed Lamu refinery.

The facility is planned with a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, which would make it the largest refinery in East Africa if completed at that capacity.

Construction is expected to take about three years, with the plant targeted to serve Kenya and neighbouring markets.

The project has been reported at between $15 billion and $17 billion, with Kenyan Government reporting putting the latest estimate around Sh2.2 trillion.

Dangote Industries has said financing will involve a combination of internal funding, bonds and an initial public offering, while Kenya and other East African countries have been offered stakes in the project.

A final financing package has not yet been fully disclosed.

Kenya wants more than imported fuel

The economic argument behind the Lamu refinery extends beyond replacing imported petrol and diesel.

Kenya spent about Sh511.5 billion on petroleum products in 2025, according to recent Government-linked reporting, making fuel the country's largest import bill.

A domestic refinery could retain more value within the regional economy while reducing dependence on imported refined products and strengthening supply security.

Lamu's location is also tied to the LAPSSET corridor and Lamu Port, giving the project access to deep-water maritime infrastructure and a potential route for crude imports, refined-product exports and regional distribution.

Jobs and industries around the refinery

The Kenyan Government expects the wider project to create more than 60,000 jobs, with about half projected to be skilled positions.

The refinery is also expected to stimulate supporting industries in areas such as logistics, manufacturing, chemicals and petrochemicals.

Ruto has additionally pointed to potential downstream industries including fertiliser, chemicals and packaging, reflecting the industrial ecosystem that can develop around a large refinery.

But the scale of the plan also comes with major tests.

Kenya currently does not have commercial-scale crude production, meaning the refinery's long-term feedstock supply remains an issue.

Analysts have warned that the plant could initially depend substantially on imported crude unless regional production and transport infrastructure expand.