The Dangote Group has acquired a 25 per cent stake in the Kenya Pipeline Company, expanding its footprint in Africa’s energy sector as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the distribution of refined petroleum products across the continent.

The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, disclosed the investment while speaking with the Africa Editor of the Financial Times, Mr David Pilling, at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2026 in London, United Kingdom.

Mr Dangote said the acquisition was made with the support of the Kenyan government and would form part of the Group’s expanding petroleum distribution network across Africa.

The industrialist said the Group was pursuing several petroleum distribution infrastructure projects in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Namibia.

He said the objective was to establish depots, pipelines and storage facilities that would make it easier to move refined petroleum products from major supply points to different African markets.

“We are very aggressive with that,” Dangote said while discussing the Group’s plans for petroleum distribution infrastructure.

The Group is developing a distribution corridor linking Djibouti to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with tank farms planned to support the storage and movement of petroleum products.

Mr Dangote also disclosed that a project in Cameroon was nearing completion, while Namibia had been identified as a strategic gateway into Southern Africa.

Namibia to serve Southern Africa

According to Mr Dangote, the proximity of Namibia to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos would allow the Group to establish an efficient supply route into Southern Africa.

“From our refinery to Namibia is just about four days of steaming,” he said.

The plan is to transport refined petroleum products from Lagos to Namibia and distribute them through interconnected markets, including Botswana and South Africa.

Mr Dangote also outlined plans for a distribution corridor extending through Zimbabwe and Zambia, with strategically located storage and transportation infrastructure designed to serve multiple countries.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Dangote plans to invest about $1.5bn in expanding Kenya’s pipeline network as part of the broader strategy.

$16bn Kenya refinery project

The pipeline investment comes as Dangote advances plans to establish another major refinery in Lamu, Kenya, with a proposed capacity of approximately 700,000 barrels per day.

The planned refinery is estimated at $16bn and is expected to serve Kenya and wider East African markets.

Mr Dangote said the decision to invest in East Africa was influenced by the region’s substantial industrial and mining activities, growing energy needs and challenges in accessing diesel and other petroleum products.

He explained that the proposed refinery would source crude oil from different markets rather than depend exclusively on crude production from Kenya or Uganda.

Lamu selected after technical assessment

Mr Dangote said several locations were assessed before Lamu was selected for the refinery project.

He identified deep-water access, marine facilities and adequate water resources as some of the critical factors considered in choosing the location.

According to him, the investment decision was reached within four months, although he alleged that vested commercial interests had attempted to frustrate the project through legal proceedings shortly before its public unveiling.

The refinery project has also faced legal challenges in Kenya, including disputes over land earmarked for the development.

Dangote calls for protection of African industries

Beyond the energy sector, Mr Dangote called on African governments to protect domestic industries from what he described as unfair foreign competition.

He argued that excessive dependence on imported goods was undermining local manufacturing and employment across the continent.

Mr Dangote questioned why African countries should expose emerging industries to unrestricted foreign competition when major global economies were increasingly adopting measures to protect their domestic manufacturing sectors.

He warned that allowing imported products to displace local manufacturing amounted to “exporting our jobs out of the continent, importing poverty into the continent.”

Dangote targets $50bn investment by 2030

The industrialist further disclosed that the Dangote Group had budgeted approximately $50bn for investments between 2026 and 2030.

He said the investment programme was aimed at expanding the Group’s operations while encouraging other African entrepreneurs and investors to participate in the continent’s industrial transformation.

“The legacy we are trying to set up is how do we industrialise our continent?” Mr Dangote said.

He also identified unreliable electricity supply as one of the biggest obstacles to industrialisation in Africa, particularly in mining and mineral processing.

According to him, inadequate power supply prevents many African countries from processing their natural resources locally and adding value before export.

Mr Dangote said about 650 million Africans lack access to electricity, stressing that solving the continent’s power challenges would create opportunities for manufacturing, employment and economic diversification.

He argued that Africa’s vast agricultural land, mineral resources and youthful population provide the foundation for the continent to become a major global industrial force.