Kenyan President William Ruto has credited billionaire Aliko Dangote with ending decades of fuel scarcity in Nigeria through the establishment of Africa’s largest refinery.
Ruto made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing an infrastructure summit in Nairobi, using Nigeria’s experience as an example of successful African-led solutions to continental challenges.
“Nigeria has been a producer of oil for all the years that we know. Yet, when you went to Nigeria, there were queues of people looking for fuel in petrol stations for a long time. Until one African stepped forward and built a refinery, Aliko Dangote,” Ruto stated.
He continued: “The solution wasn’t in Europe or Asia. The solution was in Nigeria for a problem that disturbed Nigeria for years.”
VIDEO: Nigeria has been a producer of oil for all the years that we know. Yet when you go to Nigeria, there were queues of people looking for fuel at petrol stations for a long time until one African stepped forward and built a refinery, Aliko Dangote.“
— Kenya President, Ruto pic.twitter.com/qE1hZDurBg
— Angel Network News (@angelnetnews) April 25, 2026
Ruto praised Dangote’s initiative as proof that Africa possesses the necessary political leadership, industrialists and financial resources to resolve its own problems without external dependence.
“I dare say, ladies and gentlemen, we have in this room the political leadership, we have the industrialists, we have the financials to transform our continent and we must waste no time looking any further,” he added.
The Kenyan leader used the occasion to rally support for a proposed East African refinery, modelled after the Dangote Refinery in Lagos. Dangote, who was present at the summit, pledged his support for the project provided regional governments commit to its success.
Nigeria, despite being one of Africa’s largest oil producers, endured chronic fuel shortages and long queues at filling stations for years due to the poor performance of its state-owned refineries. The Dangote Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, began operations in late 2023 and has significantly altered the country’s fuel supply landscape.
Ruto’s comments come amid ongoing discussions on African self-reliance in energy and infrastructure development. While the Dangote project has been hailed as a milestone, some observers in Nigeria note that pump prices remain relatively high for many citizens despite improved supply.
