Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed plans to expand the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from its current capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.4 million bpd, a move that would make it the largest oil refinery in the world.

Speaking during a briefing in Lagos on Sunday, Dangote said the expansion, when completed, would surpass the Jamnagar Refinery in India, which currently holds the global record with a capacity of 1.24 million barrels per day. He added that the project would also see a massive boost in polypropylene production, increasing output from 900,000 metric tonnes to 2.4 million metric tonnes per annum.

“We are expanding the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day. Upon completion, this will make it the largest refinery in the world, surpassing Jamnagar in India,” Dangote stated. He, however, did not provide a specific timeline or the financial details of the expansion plan.

The announcement comes as the refinery recently commenced its direct petrol supply scheme, though some petroleum marketers have complained about delays and non-supply despite making payments. Reports by Bloomberg indicated that the refinery has faced certain operational challenges, which have affected its product distribution.

Meanwhile, Nigerians continue to feel the impact of the petrol supply issues, as prices at filling stations in Abuja and other parts of the country rose to between ₦950 and ₦965 per litre as of Sunday. Despite the setbacks, Dangote’s expansion ambition signals a bold step toward making Nigeria a global refining hub and reducing the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.