Dangote Group ( one of the largest conglomerates in Nigeria) has announced plans to expand its petroleum refinery capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, aimed at boosting local production and tackling the high cost of refined petroleum products in Nigeria.
Chairman, Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote announced this during the Dangote Group’s Special Day at the 37th Enugu International Trade Fair, held on Wednesday, March 25Th ,at the Trade Fair Complex, Gulf Estate, Enugu, where the conglomerate also showcased its Vision 2030 growth strategy.
Speaking at the event, the chairman, Aliko Dangote , who was represented by the South East Regional Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Olatunbosun Jinadu, described the Theme of the event , “Empowering MSMEs for Global Competitiveness,” as a call to strengthening Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which he said, remains the backbone of both local and global economies.
He noted that high production costs for energy, raw materials, and infrastructure continue to limit the competitiveness of Nigerian MSMEs.
According to him, the Group’s Vision 2030 strategy is designed to address these challenges through industrial expansion, consolidation, and cross-border investments to enhance Africa’s self-sufficiency in critical sectors.
Apart from the refinery expansion, the plan also includes scaling fertiliser production to 12 million metric tonnes annually and expanding polypropylene output to meet demand across packaging, textiles, automotive, medical, and construction industries.
He described the Dangote Refinery as a flagship project advancing local content development, creating thousands of jobs, and facilitating skills transfer. Jinadu invited fair participants to visit the Dangote Group pavilion, explore business opportunities, and engage with the company’s business units to support Nigeria’s economic self-reliance.
Earlier in his welcome address, the President of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, commended Dangote for its longstanding support of the Enugu International Trade Fair and urged the Group to consider establishing a plant in the South East to further stimulate local industrial growth.
He described the Dangote Group as a model of vision, innovation, and industriousness, whose industrial empire is a source of pride for Nigeria and Africa.
Onyemelukwe congratulated Dangote Group on its Special Day and expressed confidence that the partnership between ECCIMA and Dangote would continue to grow, promoting national development and economic prosperity.
The Dangote Group’s pavilion became a hub for networking, product exhibitions, and discussions on opportunities to strengthen MSMEs and local production under the company’s Vision 2030 initiative.
