Aliko Dangote, head of the Dangote Group, has announced plans to collaborate with Kenya and Uganda on the construction of a major oil refinery in Tanzania, a move aimed at boosting regional refining capacity and reducing dependence on imported fuel.

He disclosed this during an infrastructure financing conference in Nairobi, attended by regional leaders including William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni.

Dangote said the proposed refinery would be similar in scale to his 650,000 barrels-per-day facility in Nigeria and would proceed once there is firm political backing from the participating countries.

According to him, the project is part of a broader vision to strengthen Africa’s ability to refine its own crude oil and support local industries through integrated petrochemical production. He noted that such facilities help protect economies from global supply shocks and price spikes.

The plan aligns with regional discussions to site the refinery in the port city of Tanga, where it would be positioned to process crude from multiple countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.

East Africa currently imports most of its refined petroleum products, mainly from the Middle East. A joint refinery, stakeholders say, would improve energy security, encourage industrial growth and deepen cooperation among countries in the region.