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Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, said plans are underway to add a major petrochemical plant to the company’s refinery complex, a move he believes could reposition Nigeria as a leading African supplier of a key industrial chemical used in detergent manufacturing.
Dangote disclosed the project on Saturday while addressing journalists during a visit to the facility by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari.
The proposed installation will produce linear alkylbenzene, or LAB, a core feedstock used in the manufacture of surfactants, the cleaning agents that form the active component in soaps and detergents.
According to Dangote, the plant is expected to be completed within approximately 30 months and will have a production capacity of about 400,000 tonnes annually. He said that output would significantly exceed existing production capacity across Africa and could supply manufacturers throughout the continent.
“And that raw material for detergent will be sufficient for the entire African continent. It’s 400,000 tonnes, which we don’t have,” Dangote said. He added that only two comparable facilities currently operate in Africa, producing roughly 100,000 tonnes in Algeria and about 50,000 tonnes in Egypt. “But we are going 400,000. And we will deliver all this in the next 30 months.”
The project will focus on industrial inputs rather than consumer goods. Linear alkylbenzene is used to produce surfactants that allow detergents to remove grease and dirt. Most detergent manufacturers in Africa rely heavily on imported chemical inputs, often sourced from Asia and Europe, which exposes producers to foreign exchange fluctuations and supply disruptions.
Read also: Dangote Predicts Naira Could Hit N1,100 Per Dollar In 2026
Dangote said the refinery complex is evolving beyond fuel refining into a wider industrial processing centre. “It’s an industrial hub. And that’s why we are doing a Linear Alkyl Benzene plant, which is a raw material for detergents,” he said, noting that the national oil company is expected to partner with the group in developing parts of the broader complex.
The refinery, located near Lagos, was originally designed to process crude oil into petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and other refined petroleum products for domestic consumption and export. Company officials now describe the facility as the anchor for an integrated industrial ecosystem that links refining with petrochemicals, fertiliser production and manufacturing supply chains. Industry observers say local production of LAB could reshape regional manufacturing patterns. Detergent and household product producers in West and Central Africa have long depended on imported feedstocks, making them vulnerable to shipping delays and currency pressures. A domestic source within the continent could shorten supply chains and reduce import bills for manufacturers.
The project also aligns with Nigeria’s broader economic strategy of reducing dependence on imported finished and intermediate goods. By producing chemical feedstocks locally, authorities hope to stimulate downstream industries such as packaging, plastics, cleaning products and other consumer goods manufacturing.
Dangote’s expansion into petrochemicals builds on the group’s existing industrial portfolio, which includes large scale operations in cement production, fertiliser manufacturing, agriculture, food processing, logistics and packaging. The company has increasingly linked these businesses, using outputs from one sector as inputs for another to create integrated supply networks.
Read more: Dangote Signs $400m Equipment Deal To Double Refinery Output
Officials did not disclose financing details or a construction start date but indicated that engineering and procurement work is progressing.
The plant will be built within the refinery footprint and is expected to operate alongside existing fuel and fertiliser facilities once completed.
If the project reaches full capacity, Nigeria would become one of the few producers of linear alkylbenzene in Africa, potentially altering trade flows for industrial raw materials and positioning the country as a regional supplier to detergent manufacturers across multiple markets.
