Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is commissioning the world’s largest single-train oil refinery, built by Africa’s richest man, billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote.
The government hopes that the refinery will transform Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, from an importer to an exporter of refined fuels, putting an end to recurring fuel shortages and creating tens of thousands of jobs.
Dangote Industries has billed it as the world’s largest single-train petroleum refinery, with a crude distillation unit the size of about 130 football fields.
The project, which began operations in 2017, is located in the Lekki area of Lagos State, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is designed to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The state-owned refinery is not expected to reach full capacity until 2024.
“At full capacity, it can meet 100% of Nigeria’s requirement for all refined products while also having a surplus for export,” Dangote Industries said last week in a statement.
Mr. Buhari is commissioning the plant as one of his final public acts before stepping down as president next Monday after serving two terms.
He will hand over power to Bola Tinubu, who won controversial presidential elections in February.
The event, according to Nigerian oil and gas consultant Henry Adigun, was “more political than technical” on Monday.
“There is still a great deal of work to be done in terms of permits and licenses.” “I don’t believe the refinery is at the point where we will begin to reap the benefits as Nigerians,” he said.
