Uganda has approached the Dangote Group to participate in its proposed multi-billion-dollar oil refinery and invest in fertiliser and salt production, seeking to draw on the Nigerian conglomerate’s industrial expertise to process its natural resources, create jobs, and reduce dependence on imports.
The East African nation presented the investment opportunities during a visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and Dangote Fertiliser Limited in Lekki, Lagos, on Saturday, November 14, 2026, by a delegation led by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, and the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Privatisation and Investment), Hajjat Amina Mukalazi.
The Ministers pledged government support for the proposed collaboration, noting that Uganda wants to translate its crude oil and mineral resources into domestic production and wider economic benefits.
The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, received the delegation alongside senior executives of the group, including Group Vice President for Oil & Gas and Fertiliser, Devakumar Edwin; Group Executive Director for Logistics and Distribution, Abdu Dantata; Group Executive Director for Commercial Operations (Oil & Gas, Fertiliser, and WAEP), Fatima Aliko Dangote; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, David Bird; and Managing Director of Infrastructure and Logistics, Captain Jamil Mohammed Abubakar.
Presenting Uganda’s proposals, Mukalazi invited the group to take a leading role in the planned 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery in the Hoima area, which she described as a major industrial priority for the country. She noted that the project would benefit significantly from the conglomerate’s experience in engineering, construction, and the operation of large-scale industrial facilities.
“You have shown that an African company can build world-scale industry in Africa and run it by Africans themselves,” she said.
Mukalazi stressed that the preliminary estimates presented by the delegation would require technical assessment by Dangote’s team.
She argued that the proposed facility could complement the group’s planned refinery in Lamu, Kenya, by serving inland markets while the coastal facility supplies maritime and coastal regions.
Beyond oil refining, Uganda pitched opportunities in fertiliser blending, phosphate processing, and salt manufacturing, describing them as interconnected investments capable of sharing infrastructure and distribution networks.
“Our crude, our phosphate, and our salt are waiting to be turned into fuel, fertilisers, and chemicals here in Africa and in Uganda by Africans,” Mukalazi said.
Conveying an official invitation for Dangote to visit Uganda for further discussions, she assured the group that the government would actively remove investment bottlenecks, noting that the potential benefits extend beyond capital injection to skills development, youth employment, and opportunities for local businesses.
“Uganda needs Dangote, and now is the right time. Our country is ready and moving rapidly towards industrialisation,” Mukalazi said.
“He would bring investment, technology, and opportunities for local participation, as we have seen here today. He has demonstrated what is possible elsewhere, and we believe he can do the same in Uganda. As the minister responsible for investment, I want to assure Alhaji Dangote that the government will support his investment and work to remove bottlenecks.”
In her remarks, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Musenero, explained that the delegation visited both to learn from the group’s operational experience and to explore practical collaboration in developing Uganda’s petroleum and fertiliser industries.
She identified fertiliser production as a particularly strong opportunity, noting that Uganda possesses abundant mineral resources suitable for manufacturing but has previously struggled to convert them into finished products.
“We have minerals that can be used to produce fertilisers, but our efforts to convert those resources into finished products have not been very successful. Here, we have seen a massive fertiliser manufacturing facility.”
“This is Africa-to-Africa collaboration, and we believe Dangote can operate very successfully in Uganda,” she said.
Describing the Lekki facilities as a new benchmark for African industrial ambition, Musenero remarked that the tour demonstrated the sheer scale of investment indigenous African businesses can execute.
“This is setting a new standard for African thinking and for what we believe we can achieve. Sometimes, we think too small,” she said. “After our discussions and seeing the scale of these facilities, I wish I could convince him to fly back with us so that we could start tomorrow.”
She added that Uganda is eager for an early follow-up visit and emphasized that the proposed partnership already enjoys strong political backing.
Responding on behalf of the company, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, David Bird, stated that the presence of two cabinet ministers underscored Uganda’s seriousness in pursuing an industrial partnership.
“Uganda has incredible natural resources and human capital. As both ministers have expressed during this visit, there is also no shortage of ambition or political will to pursue industrialisation,” he said.
Bird added that the engagement provided a valuable platform to identify common interests and explore structured collaboration within the conglomerate’s broader continental expansion strategy.
“The visit demonstrates the strength of the relationship and the importance attached to identifying common ground, exploring opportunities, and strengthening our expansion into East Africa as part of Vision 2030,” he said.
