Dangote signs $450 million deal with Engineers India to build Kenya refinery

Dangote Group has inked a $450 million contract with Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) to manage the construction of a new 700,000-barrels-per-day greenfield refinery and petrochemical plant in Lamu, Kenya. The Indian engineering firm disclosed the agreement on the Mumbai stock exchange on September 22, 2026. This marks EIL's involvement in another major Dangote refinery project, following its role in the Lagos refinery project.

The proposed Kenyan refinery is expected to bolster fuel production in East Africa, lessen regional reliance on imports, and enhance energy security upon completion. EIL has previously collaborated with Dangote on the Lagos refinery, providing project management and engineering, procurement, and construction management services for the 650,000-barrels-per-day facility.

The extension of their engineering relationship from the Lagos project to the Kenyan one underscores the partnership's significance. The Kenyan refinery aligns with Dangote's strategy to expand its refining operations from West Africa to East Africa, complementing the existing Lagos refinery. The project is set to boost Dangote's energy infrastructure across the continent, alongside planned pipeline projects linking regional nations.

As Dangote pushes ahead with the Lagos refinery expansion, aiming to increase its crude-processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by the first quarter of 2029, the Kenyan refinery project is also being advanced. The expansion is being financed partly through Dangote's current IPO in Nigeria. The Kenyan refinery is also slated for a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange after the Lagos expansion's completion, following the primary listing in Nigeria.