Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) have entered a strategic partnership aimed at boosting Nigeria’s energy security and driving industrial growth.

The agreement was sealed during a high-level visit to the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, where leaders of both organisations emphasized collaboration, efficiency, and transparency as keys to national progress.

Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, said the partnership aligns with the refinery’s founding vision and has the potential to position Nigeria as a major industrial hub in Africa. He highlighted that NNPC currently holds a 7.25 percent equity stake in the refinery and stressed that working together within existing infrastructure could unlock greater value for the country.

Dangote revealed plans to expand the refinery into a full industrial hub, including a 400,000-metric-tonne Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant, which is expected to surpass current African production capacity. He noted that focusing on petrochemicals offers higher economic returns than fuel production alone.

Bashir Bayo Ojulari, NNPC’s Group CEO, praised the refinery’s performance, noting it is currently operating at 661,000 barrels per day above its 650,000-barrels-per-day design capacity. He described the facility as a national asset that demonstrates how modern technology can help Nigeria overcome industrial limitations.

Ojulari also affirmed NNPC’s commitment to transparency and practical collaboration, saying both organisations will identify priority areas for joint action and create a structured framework to implement their plans.