DANGOTE BLAMES MARKETERS, IOCS FOR LAMU REFINERY PROTESTS

Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, has blamed local oil marketers and international oil companies for protests over land earmarked for his proposed $16bn refinery in Lamu, Kenya.

Dangote made the claim while speaking on the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, following protests by some residents over compensation for land acquired for the project.

The billionaire and Kenyan President William Ruto performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the refinery on Wednesday, despite a court order restricting construction activities over a land dispute.

Dangote rejected claims that his company had acquired more land than necessary, saying the project was using only the portion allocated by the Kenyan government.

He described the protests as “games played by local marketers and international players” and maintained that they would not stop the refinery from being completed as planned in 2030.

The refinery is expected to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of the largest refinery projects in East Africa. Dangote said the project would be his biggest proposed investment outside Nigeria.

However, the Save Lamu campaign group has raised concerns about the environmental impact of the refinery. The group said residents wanted to see the environmental impact assessment and details of proposed measures to address potential risks.

A group of 133 Lamu residents has taken the matter to the Kenyan High Court, resulting in restrictions on excavation and construction on the disputed land pending a hearing scheduled for October 14.

Dangote said the project would create about 60,000 jobs at the peak of construction and include a 1,000-megawatt power plant to support his operations and other industries in the area.