Dangote eyes new refinery project across East Africa after Uganda talks

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that he recently met Nigerian billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote to discuss plans for a major oil refinery in East Africa.

The meeting took place in Kampala, Uganda, where both leaders talked about building a regional refinery that could process crude oil from several East African countries.

Museveni said the idea supports Africa’s goal of adding value to its natural resources instead of exporting them in raw form.

He explained that Uganda delayed full oil production in the past because it wanted to ensure that refining facilities were in place first. He added that a shared regional refinery would benefit East African countries by strengthening cooperation and boosting industrial development.

Dangote has already shown interest in expanding his refinery investments beyond Nigeria. He said his company is ready to help build a similar large refinery in East Africa, with possible locations including Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda. The project could be completed within four to five years if plans move forward.

This comes as Dangote continues to expand his massive refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, which is already the largest in Africa and processes about 650,000 barrels of oil per day.

The facility is also expected to expand further in capacity and production in the coming years.

The proposed East African refinery is still under discussion, and no final location has been confirmed.