Manny Ita
In a major move to solidify Nigeria’s position as a global energy powerhouse, the Dangote Group has officially signed a contract valued at over $350 million with India’s state-owned Engineers India Limited (EIL). The agreement, announced today, January 19, 2026, marks the commencement of the “Train 2” expansion phase for the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in the Lekki Free Zone.
Under the terms of the deal, EIL will serve as the Project Management Consultant (PMC) and the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) consultant. This replicates the successful partnership during the first phase of the refinery, which was commissioned in 2024. The expansion is designed to more than double the facility’s current crude processing capacity, skyrocketing from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to an unprecedented 1.4 million bpd.
The technical scope of the project focuses on two critical areas of industrial growth. First, the refinery will transition its output to meet Euro VI-grade standards, ensuring that Nigeria produces some of the cleanest burning fuels globally. Second, the complex will undergo a massive petrochemical scale-up. Polypropylene production is set to increase from 830,000 tonnes per annum to 2.4 million tonnes per annum, supported by the installation of a world-scale 750 kTPA UOP Oleflex unit to supplement propylene feedstock.
EIL, in a statement released following the signing, expressed deep confidence in the project’s impact. “Believing in EIL’s Engineering and Project Management excellence, Dangote Group has once again joined hands with EIL… Once completed, this expansion will position Dangote as the world’s largest petroleum refinery at a single location,” the firm noted. The project is expected to create approximately 65,000 jobs, with the Group emphasizing that 85% of the workforce will be Nigerians.
The expansion is not just a corporate milestone but a strategic shift for the continent. By nearly doubling its output, the refinery aims to eliminate Africa’s historical reliance on imported refined fuels and save billions in foreign exchange. Dangote Refinery CEO David Bird recently noted that the expansion would utilize “ruthless replication,” moving directly into procurement and construction on land that has already been reclaimed and prepared, with a completion target within the next three years.
