Tanzania has revived high-level negotiations with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote as President Samia Suluhu Hassan pushes to secure a proposed $17 billion East African oil refinery project that could redefine the region’s energy future.
The strategic meeting took place at State House, Ikulu, in Dar es Salaam on Saturday and brought together top executives from the Dangote Group alongside Tanzanian government officials.
The talks centered on a mega refinery project expected to process up to 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily, making it one of Africa’s most ambitious industrial energy developments.
President Samia described Dangote as one of Tanzania’s most important investors and praised the impact of Dangote Cement in the Mtwara region.
She said the company continues to strengthen Tanzania’s economy through industrial growth, job creation, cement trade, and infrastructure development.
According to the Tanzanian presidency, the discussions also focused on a long-term regional strategy designed to reduce Africa’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
The proposed refinery would allow East African nations to participate through joint ownership and regional investment partnerships.
Dangote reportedly told President Samia that the project could help Africa achieve greater petroleum self-sufficiency while protecting regional economies from global fuel price shocks and supply disruptions.
The proposed refinery has already triggered intense regional competition. Recent reports suggested Dangote may favor Kenya’s port city of Mombasa instead of Tanzania’s Tanga port because of its deeper harbor and larger fuel market.
Earlier regional discussions had positioned Tanga as the likely host city under a broader East African partnership involving Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The renewed talks now signal Tanzania’s aggressive diplomatic effort to keep the refinery project within its borders while strengthening ties with Africa’s richest industrialist.
President Samia also invited the Dangote Group to expand into fertilizer production in Tanzania. She noted that local fertilizer demand continues to exceed domestic manufacturing capacity, creating fresh opportunities for industrial investment and agricultural growth.
The meeting comes just days after President William Ruto addressed controversy surrounding comments he made about the refinery project.
During the Kenya-Tanzania Business Forum in Dar es Salaam earlier this month, President Samia publicly questioned why Ruto announced plans linked to a refinery in Tanga without prior consultation with Tanzania.
Ruto later clarified his remarks and emphasized regional cooperation. He said East African countries intend to work together on shared infrastructure projects that benefit the wider region rather than individual nations alone.
Speaking at the Kenya Mining Investment Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Ruto revealed that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan had already agreed in principle to jointly develop a regional refinery capable of serving East Africa’s growing fuel demand.
The refinery proposal aligns closely with Dangote’s broader ambitions to transform Africa’s energy sector following the success of the massive refinery project in Nigeria.
The Nigerian facility has already become one of the continent’s most influential industrial developments and is expected to reshape fuel supply chains across Africa for decades.
Industry analysts believe the East African refinery could significantly reduce fuel imports, stabilize petroleum prices, boost regional trade, and attract billions of dollars in additional infrastructure investment.
The latest meeting between President Samia and Dangote therefore represents far more than a diplomatic engagement. It marks a critical moment in East Africa’s race to become Africa’s next major energy and industrial powerhouse.
As competition between Tanzania and Kenya intensifies, investors across the continent now watch closely to see where one of Africa’s largest refinery projects will finally land.
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