Dangote Partners Honeywell to Accelerate Refinery Expansion Toward 1.4m bpd Target
STORY: written by Uzuh Rita November 25,2025
Nigeria’s Dangote Industries has enlisted global technology giant Honeywell to support its aggressive plan to scale up refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, signalling major progress in its ambition to become the world’s largest petroleum refinery
Under the newly announced partnership, Honeywell will supply specialised catalysts and cutting-edge processing equipment that will enable the refinery to handle a wider mix of crude oil grades. This enhancement is critical to Dangote’s strategy to boost output and strengthen operational flexibility as it pushes toward its expansion goals.
In addition, Dangote plans to ramp up polypropylene production to 2.4 million metric tons annually, using Honeywell’s Oleflex technology. Polypropylene is a major industrial polymer used in plastics, automotive components, and packaging materials.
Although financial details were not disclosed, industry sources estimate the collaboration could exceed $250 million, depending on the final scope and technical requirements.
Nigeria, despite being Africa’s top crude producer, has historically relied on imported refined petroleum products due to failing government-owned refineries. This led to persistent fuel shortages, subsidy crises, and heavy pressure on the naira.
The Dangote Refinery — Africa’s largest and the world’s biggest single-train refining system at 650,000 bpd — was built to change this trajectory by meeting domestic fuel demand and producing surplus for export.
Following a $20 billion investment in the refinery complex located in Lekki, Lagos, Dangote recently unveiled plans to double its capacity through a second single-train unit. Achieving 1.4 million bpd would allow the refinery to process nearly all of Nigeria’s current crude output, estimated at around 1.5 million bpd.
The Honeywell partnership also aligns with the U.S. company’s restructuring efforts as it prepares to spin off its aerospace division, its most profitable business line.
