SNPC, the state oil firm of the Republic of the Congo, and Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals have started talks on a strategic partnership designed to bolster the Congo’s access to refined fuels while supporting wider regional energy cooperation and industrial links across Africa. The discussions were launched during a visit by SNPC executives to Dangote’s refinery complex in Lagos, as both sides position the project within broader efforts to expand Africa’s refining footprint and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.
Background to the talks
The initiative is led by Maixent Raoul Ominga, Managing Director of SNPC, who led a Congolese delegation to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos. Ominga described the facility as a significant industrial milestone for the continent and said the Republic of the Congo has refining capacity that can be paired with long-term cooperation to improve regional supply of refined products and create value for both organisations.
What SNPC and Dangote discussed
- SNPC’s delegation visited the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos to assess the complex and identify potential areas for collaboration.
- Ominga said the talks are centered on cooperation across refining, the supply of petroleum products, energy security, industrial development, and knowledge sharing.
- He praised the Dangote Group for showing that Africa can finance, build, and run world-scale industrial infrastructure, calling the refinery an important step in the continent’s industrial transformation.
- Ominga also highlighted prior Dangote investment in the Republic of the Congo, especially in the cement sector, saying it has strengthened local industrial capacity, increased production, and improved access to construction materials.
- Dangote Industries Limited President and Chief Executive Aliko Dangote reaffirmed the group’s commitment to Africa’s industrialisation through value creation, regional partnerships, and investment across the continent.
- Dangote said the group is focused on Africa beyond Nigeria, urging the Congo to outline its needs so the two sides can determine how to work together.
- He said the refinery sets a fuel-quality benchmark in Africa by producing petroleum products that meet the highest international specifications, while expanding access to cleaner fuels and lowering the region’s dependence on refined imports from outside Africa.
Expansion plans and investment timeline
During the visit, Devakumar Edwin, Group Vice President for Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, described a long-term expansion roadmap. The group aims to raise its total refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day, made up of 1.4 million barrels per day in Nigeria and a planned 700,000 barrels per day refining complex in Kenya intended to serve East African markets.
Edwin also disclosed that Dangote plans to add US$46 billion in investment between 2026 and 2028 across its refining, cement, and fertiliser operations, framing the spending as a way to accelerate industrialisation across Africa.
Reaction and broader significance
The engagement reflects what both SNPC and Dangote portray as a shared commitment to deepen African energy cooperation, reinforce regional value chains, and increase self-sufficiency in refined petroleum products. The partnership discussions come as African economies seek stronger energy security and expanded intra-African trade, with refining capacity and cleaner fuels increasingly central to policy and investment agendas.
The meeting included Fatima Aliko Dangote, Group Executive Director for Commercial, Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, as well as Peggy Ndongo, Adviser to the President of the Republic of the Congo. SNPC Managing Director Aymar Ebiou and Norbert Mabiala also attended, alongside advisers to Ominga.
