Dangote Says Group Ready to Face Legal Battles as Refinery Expansion Continues
By Fact Harbour News
President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has said his business group is prepared to defend its interests through the courts as it faces legal and regulatory disputes surrounding its refining operations and expansion plans across Africa.
Dangote made the remarks during a fireside discussion at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya, where he spoke about the group’s investment strategy, the planned refinery in Lamu and efforts to broaden African participation in the ownership of its businesses.
His comments come amid continuing litigation involving the importation of petroleum products into Nigeria. Dangote Petroleum Refinery is pursuing a legal challenge relating to the issuance and renewal of fuel import licences to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other oil marketers. A separate Federal High Court proceeding in Lagos is scheduled for further hearing on October 7, according to current reports.
Dangote indicated that legal disputes would not deter the group from pursuing its investment plans.
The businessman also discussed the planned 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu County, Kenya, which is expected to become one of the largest refining projects in East Africa.
The proposed Kenyan project is, however, facing a separate land dispute. A Malindi Environment and Land Court has ordered the parties involved to maintain the existing situation on the disputed property pending further proceedings scheduled for October 14.
The case was brought by residents of Chandavai in Lamu County who claim that the land earmarked for the refinery forms part of their ancestral property.
The Dangote Group has maintained that the court order does not, at this stage, prevent the planned groundbreaking ceremony, although activities at the project site could be affected while the legal proceedings continue.
Speaking to investors in Nairobi, Dangote expressed confidence that the Kenyan project would proceed despite the legal challenge.
The refinery is expected to create significant employment opportunities during construction and generate additional economic activity around the project. Dangote has said the development could require more than 60,000 workers and stimulate opportunities for businesses operating around the facility.
A major part of Dangote’s presentation in Nairobi was also devoted to the proposed ownership structure of his businesses.
He said the group was interested in giving more Africans the opportunity to own shares in major businesses operating on the continent. In the case of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, he indicated that his ownership could eventually fall to about 20 to 25 per cent if there was sufficient demand from African investors.
The comments come after the refinery’s public share offering in Nigeria opened earlier this month. The company offered 4.1 billion ordinary shares at ₦525 per share, with the offer designed to raise funds for expansion. The current Nigerian offer is expected to close on October 13, 2026.
Dangote said the group could approach regulators for approval to release additional shares if investor demand justified a larger public offering.
He also linked wider ownership to corporate accountability, noting that shareholders would have voting rights and could influence the composition of company leadership through established corporate governance processes.
The proposed Lamu refinery could also take a different route to the Nigerian refinery in terms of its capital-market structure.
Dangote said the planned Kenyan refinery should be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange rather than automatically being listed in Nigeria. The proposal is intended to allow investors in Kenya and other African countries to participate directly in ownership of the project.
The planned listing reflects Dangote’s broader argument that African businesses should increasingly be financed and owned by African investors.
He has also discussed plans for a new shipping business that would support trade between African countries and provide another opportunity for continental investors to participate in ownership.
For the Dangote Group, the developments come at a period of expansion accompanied by increased scrutiny from regulators, investors and courts.
In Nigeria, the Dangote refinery has become a major participant in the country’s petroleum industry, while the company is simultaneously pursuing plans to expand its refining capacity and develop new projects elsewhere on the continent.
The proposed Lamu project represents one of the group’s most ambitious international investments and is expected to increase refining capacity in East Africa if completed.
However, the ongoing land dispute means that aspects of the Kenyan development remain subject to the outcome of court proceedings.
Meanwhile, the legal disagreements surrounding fuel imports in Nigeria continue to involve Dangote Refinery, petroleum regulators and other industry participants.
Dangote’s latest comments indicate that the group intends to continue pursuing its commercial and investment objectives while defending its position in court where necessary.
As the various legal and regulatory matters progress, the outcomes could have implications for the group’s expansion plans, the structure of future public ownership and the wider petroleum market in Nigeria and other African countries.
