By Eteteonline
Nigeria is the leading producer of crude oil in Africa, but it has struggled with gasoline imports for many years. Since state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna collapsed, it has been dependent on imported refined fuel. Despite spending trillions of naira on turnaround maintenance over the years, the refineries have remained dormant. Frequent shortages, subsidy fraud, and extreme strain on foreign exchange reserves have resulted from this.
Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian entrepreneur, announced plans to construct a refinery in 2013. Ten years later, on May 22, 2023, the Dangote Refinery opened, fulfilling his goal. Located in Lagos’ Lekki Free Zone, the $20 billion Dangote Refinery was designed as a remedy for Nigeria’s protracted energy crisis.
The largest single-train refinery in the world, with an original nameplate capacity of 650,000 bpd, was built to supply all of Nigeria’s demands for gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, and LPG, with the option to export excess to both domestic and foreign markets.
Aliko Dangote revealed plans in October 2025 to install a second processing train and double the refining capacity, bringing the overall capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd).
“Our expansion vision is simple: position Nigeria as a global refining powerhouse,” Dangote stated at the time.
“We want to create an energy complex capable of meeting Africa’s needs while competing with the best globally.”
Dangote Refinery announced a strategic partnership with a US-based Honeywell to support its push to double capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, a significant step that strengthens its bid to become the largest single-location refining complex in the world, just one month after the refinery unveiled its expansion program.
The statement by the company said:
“Dangote Group is pleased to announce that it has entered a strategic partnership with Honeywell International Inc. to support the next phase of expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This collaboration will provide advanced technology and services that will enable the refinery to increase its processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, marking a major milestone in our long-term vision to build the world’s largest petroleum refining complex.
“Through this agreement, Honeywell will supply specialised catalysts, equipment, and process technologies that will allow the refinery to process a broader slate of crude grades efficiently and to further enhance product quality and operational reliability.”
“Dangote Group remains fully committed to delivering world-class industrial capacity, strengthening Nigeria’s energy security, and driving sustainable economic growth through long-term investment, innovation, and strategic global partnerships,” the statement ended.
The refinery will be able to process a wider range of crude grades because of Honeywell’s provision of catalysts, specialized machinery, and technological solutions. It is anticipated that the partnership will greatly increase operational effectiveness and facilitate the anticipated increase in output.
Advanced catalysts, specialized machinery, and process technologies will be supplied by Honeywell as part of the arrangement, allowing the plant to refine a greater variety of crude grades while enhancing product quality and operating effectiveness. Through its UOP branch, Honeywell, a Fortune 100 technology and industrial corporation, has a long-standing partnership with Dangote, providing heat exchanger technologies, column trays, catalyst regeneration units, and unique refining systems since 2017.
As part of the agreement, Dangote will also use Oleflex technology from Honeywell UOP to increase its annual capacity for polypropylene to 2.4 million metric tonnes.
Through long-term investment, innovation, and strategic international alliances, Dangote Group has reiterated its commitment to constructing world-class industrial capacity, improving Nigeria’s energy security, and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Fuel importers are anticipated to make investments in local refining as a result of this trend. Rather than accusing Dangote Refinery of being a monopoly, they might invest in already-existing inefficient government refineries. Such indigenous refining capability will boost the foreign reserve, stabilize the naira, create jobs, and boost competition.
The Dangote Refinery should not be choked by irrational demands from the oil industry’s workers’ unions. Nigeria’s critical national asset, the refinery, must be permitted to flourish.
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