Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto has described the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as “a masterpiece of science, engineering and art” following a tour of the world-class facility in Lagos, while reaffirming Kenya’s commitment to partnering with Dangote Group on the proposed $17 billion East African Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Lamu.
President Ruto, who visited the refinery after attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said witnessing firsthand the scale, sophistication and operational excellence of the 700,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery had strengthened his confidence in the East African refinery project.
“Coming here and seeing it for myself, I can confirm that I have seen a masterpiece of science, engineering, with art. To my brother Aliko, congratulations. I always knew Nigerians to be very brave people and go-getters, but I did not anticipate that it was at this scale,” President Ruto said.
The Kenyan leader disclosed that preparations had been concluded for the groundbreaking ceremony of the East African refinery project in Lamu, which is expected to become a strategic regional asset for East Africa.
According to him, the refinery will drive industrialisation, create jobs, strengthen engineering and technical capacity, enhance energy security and promote regional economic integration.
“This is not a Kenyan refinery; it is going to be a regional refinery. We are positioning our continent as an emerging growth centre, and this project will help accelerate industrialisation, create jobs, enhance engineering capabilities and strengthen Africa’s economic competitiveness,” he stated bureaucratic bottlenecks to ensure efficient project execution.
“The Government of Kenya is 100 per cent behind this project. We have secured the required land and are working to ensure that we spend our time building rather than navigating administrative delays,” he said.
The President further commended the leadership and commitment of Dangote Group President and Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote, highlighting his deep understanding of the refinery’s technical and operational processes.
“The detail with which Aliko Dangote understands this plant is remarkable. Unless you understand the details, you are unable to make the right decisions. That commitment to excellence is one of the reasons behind the success of this project,” he added.