Africa’s richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has received the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, at the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, where major plans to expand the refinery’s port and marine infrastructure were revealed.
The visit featured a guided tour of the facility and a technical briefing at the refinery’s harbour, where officials explained that the expansion is aimed at boosting export capacity and improving logistics for both local and international markets.
Speaking during the briefing, the Head of Port Infrastructure and Marine Operations, Captain Satendra Singh Rana, said the refinery is significantly increasing the scale of its fertiliser operations. He disclosed that the urea fertiliser plant is being expanded from an annual capacity of three million tonnes to nine million tonnes, a move expected to place it among the largest fertiliser facilities in the world.
Rana explained that the current system of transporting fertiliser by trucks will be phased out and replaced with an automated conveyor belt that will move products directly from the plant to the jetty. According to him, this will reduce delays, cut costs, and improve efficiency at the port.
He also revealed plans to extend the refinery’s harbour and build four additional tanker jetties to handle products such as liquefied petroleum gas, petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. The upgraded port is expected to accommodate large vessels of up to 250 metres in length, while still serving smaller ships meant for domestic distribution.
As part of the project, the harbour’s depth will be increased from about nine metres to 14.5 metres. This will allow bigger tankers to berth and increase the volume of cargo loaded per vessel, particularly for fertiliser exports.
Rana added that the port is protected by a sand-built breakwater, an innovative design he described as more sustainable and cheaper than conventional rock breakwaters. He noted that the structure has attracted interest from universities and researchers studying its potential use in future port developments.
During the visit, Dangote spoke on the refinery’s long-term export and logistics plans, while Ojulari asked questions on capacity, operations, and future expansion. The NNPCL boss later praised the facility, describing it as world-class.
