President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has announced plans for a major petrochemical project within the Dangote Refinery complex that is expected to position Nigeria as a leading supplier of key detergent inputs across Africa within the next 30 months.
Dangote made this known on Saturday while addressing journalists during a tour of the refinery by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari.
The billionaire industrialist disclosed that the proposed plant will produce linear alkylbenzene (LAB), the primary feedstock used in manufacturing surfactants — the active cleaning agents in detergents — rather than finished consumer detergent brands.
Highlighting the scale of the project, Dangote said the facility would have a production capacity of 400,000 tonnes, significantly surpassing existing plants on the continent.
“And that raw material for detergent will be sufficient for the entire African continent. It’s 400,000 tonnes, which we don’t have.
“The only two are one in Algeria, 100,000 tonnes, and Egypt, 50,000.
“But we are going 400,000. And we will deliver all this in the next 30 months,” he said.
According to him, the refinery complex is rapidly evolving beyond fuel production into a broader industrial and petrochemical ecosystem designed to deepen local value chains and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imports.
“They [NNPC] too will partner with us here because here is not a refinery. It’s an industrial hub. And that’s why we are doing a Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant, which is a raw material for detergents,” he said.
The LAB project forms part of Dangote Group’s broader expansion in oil, gas, and petrochemicals, complementing its existing footprint in refining, fertiliser production, and other industrial operations. The conglomerate maintains a diversified portfolio spanning cement, fertiliser, agriculture, food processing, logistics, and packaging.
Dangote emphasised that both the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited share a common objective of strengthening Nigeria’s energy and industrial capacity.
“I think the sky is the limit and we [NNPC and Dangote Refinery] will cooperate and also make sure that we work together to make sure that we make Nigerians proud,” he said.
On potential areas of cooperation beyond refinery expansion, Dangote revealed that discussions are ongoing regarding possible joint ventures across the value chain, including upstream operations.
“Most likely, depending on our own discussions with them, we will partner with them, maybe in some of the upstream. They, too, will partner with us here because here is not a refinery. It’s an industrial hub,” he said.
Addressing the ownership structure, Dangote noted that NNPC currently holds a minority stake in the refinery on behalf of Nigerians.
“They are holding 7.25 per cent of the shares that we have here… and they are holding that on behalf of Nigerians,” he said.
He further disclosed plans to broaden participation by allowing individuals to invest directly in the project in the coming months.
“Individually, Nigerians too will have an opportunity… in the next maximum four or five months, they will actually be able to buy their shares,” Dangote said.
Providing details on investor benefits, Dangote stated that shareholders would have flexibility in receiving returns.
“People will have a choice either to get their dividends in naira or to get their dividends in dollars because we earn dollars,” he said.
Reiterating the continental ambition of the project, he added:
“That raw material for detergent will be sufficient for the entire African continent… and we will deliver all this in the next 30 months.”
