Dangote Petroleum Refinery is taking a bold step to transform Africa’s industrial landscape by moving beyond crude processing into a fully integrated manufacturing hub. The company has announced five major projects designed to strengthen local production capabilities and reduce the continent’s reliance on imports.
Central to this expansion is the construction of a 400,000-tonne Linear Alkaline Benzene (LAB) plant, a key ingredient in detergents and cleaning agents. The move aims to support Africa’s detergent manufacturing industry, which currently depends entirely on imported surfactants.
Speaking during a tour of the refinery, Managing Director and CEO David Bird highlighted the significance of this project. “Africa imports 100 percent of its detergent and cleaning agent ingredients, called surfactants. With this LAB plant, the region can now produce these locally, reducing dependency and costs,” he explained.
Bird emphasized that the refinery’s broader vision is to evolve into a world-class industrial hub, with all five projects under development set to transform the region’s manufacturing capacity. He noted that local refining and production will not only cut inefficiencies but also allow Dangote Refinery to offer products at competitive import parity prices across West Africa.
In addition to expanding production, Bird called for strong regulatory frameworks to maintain high product quality and protect consumers. He added that local production of surfactants and other refining outputs would position Africa to compete effectively in global markets while fostering regional industrial growth.
source: vanguard