The Dangote Petroleum Refinery plans to complete the expansion of its processing capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day within the next three years, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery Plc, David Bird, has said.


Bird disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing at the refinery complex in Lagos, outlining an aggressive execution timeline anchored on what he described as “ruthless replication” of the existing plant design.

According to him, the expansion will not require redesign or re-engineering, allowing the company to move directly into procurement and construction.

“So, the idea here is ruthless replication. We will not need to tinker. We will not need to re-engineer. So we can get straight into ordering the long-lead items and commencing construction,” Bird said.

He expressed confidence that the expanded facility could be delivered within a three-year window, citing extensive pre-investment work already completed at the site.

“We are firmly of the belief that we will be able to build this plant within three years,” he added.

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Construction to Begin Immediately

Bird explained that two major activities would run in parallel in the immediate term.

The first is the procurement of long-lead equipment, which the company aims to substantially complete in the first months of 2026. The second is early construction work, including piling and site preparation, scheduled to begin before the end of the month.

“In terms of milestones this year, we’ll be placing all of our long-lead procurement items, and then, as early as before the end of this month, start some of our piling works and site preparation,” he said.

He noted that much of the preparatory work, which typically delays large industrial projects, had already been completed, significantly shortening the construction timeline.

Bird attributed the speed of the planned expansion to the foresight behind the original refinery project, particularly the extensive land reclamation and elevation work already carried out.

“The incredible thing about this site and the vision of the president (Aliko Dangote) is that land has already been reclaimed, prepared, and raised by about one to one-and-a-half metres,” he said.

“All of that land is now ready for the expansion. All the pre-investment has been done, so none of the normal timelines that come with site preparation apply here.”

As a result, he said the company could move straight into foundation works this year while procurement continues in parallel.

“We can get straight into piling and beginning the foundations. That’ll be done this year, and then we expect to see steel coming out of the ground as early as the end of this year,” Bird said.

Expansion First Announced in October


The plan to increase the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day was first announced by Dangote in October, marking a significant scale-up of what is already Africa’s largest single-train refinery.

When completed, the expansion is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and position the country as a major exporter of refined fuels.

Reaffirming the company’s confidence in its execution schedule, Bird concluded: “Our belief is that we can bring this expansion online within three years.”

If achieved, the expansion would place the Dangote Refinery among the largest refining complexes globally, with major implications for Nigeria’s energy security, foreign exchange earnings, and downstream petroleum sector.