Nairobi, Kenya – Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has commended President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his policy stance on value addition, while pledging to support the development of a major oil refinery in East Africa.
Speaking at the Africa We Build Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Dangote praised Uganda’s decision to ban the export of unprocessed minerals, describing it as a bold and necessary step toward industrialisation.
“I applaud President Museveni for his bold decision to ban the export of unprocessed minerals,” Dangote said. “I also want to commit to the two presidents here that, with their support for the refinery, we will build a similar one in East Africa like the one we have in Nigeria.”
The proposed project is expected to be located in Tanga, with plans to replicate the scale and impact of Dangote’s flagship refinery in Nigeria. The initiative is part of broader regional efforts to strengthen local processing capacity and reduce reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
President William Ruto confirmed that Kenya and Uganda are already in discussions with Dangote on the refinery project, noting that it will process crude oil from regional producers, including Uganda.
“President Museveni called me and said he wanted to buy shares in the Kenyan pipeline and did not mind the price,” President Ruto said. “Just as you invested in the pipeline, Kenya will invest in your refinery and in the shared future of our resources.”
The refinery plan is expected to be supported by new infrastructure, including a proposed pipeline linking Mombasa to Tanga, aimed at facilitating the transportation and processing of crude oil within the region.
In his remarks, President Museveni welcomed the summit and its focus on practical solutions for Africa’s development, emphasising the need for economic transformation driven by value addition.
“I thank H.E. William Ruto and the Africa Finance Corporation for organising the summit. I am glad that they are speaking my language—the language of revolution,” President Museveni said, underscoring Africa’s need to fully utilise its resources to grow its economies.
The discussions signal growing regional cooperation in energy infrastructure, with leaders and investors increasingly aligning around strategies to industrialise, create jobs, and retain more value within Africa’s resource sectors.
