Dangote Refinery on Track to Surpass Global Giants With Record 700,000 bpd Output
In a game-changing development for Africa’s energy independence, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced that it will expand its crude oil processing capacity from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000 bpd by the end of 2025. This upgrade will elevate the Lagos-based facility to the sixth-largest refinery in the world, surpassing South Korea’s Onsan Refinery.
Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, confirmed the achievement during a tour of the plant, noting that the refinery’s Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit is currently at 85% completion. He expressed optimism that once the ongoing modifications are complete, the refinery will exceed the original 650,000 bpd capacity.
Despite sourcing crude domestically proving inconsistent, the refinery has already imported 19 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between June and July 2025, including 10 million barrels in July alone — accounting for 55% of the refinery’s feedstock during the month.
Dangote revealed that building the refinery has been more complicated than expected but emphasized that his company’s willingness to take risks had paid off: “If I knew what we were going to face, I wouldn’t have started it at all. But we believe nothing is impossible.”
The refinery is poised to drastically reduce Africa’s reliance on imported refined products and position Nigeria as a major supplier of petroleum products across sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: africa.businessinsider.com
