Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed plans for his group's proposed refinery in Lamu, saying the facility will produce a range of petroleum and industrial products for Kenya and the wider East African market.

Speaking on Citizen TV's Explainer ahead of the refinery's launch, Dangote said the facility will produce jet fuel, diesel and petrol, while also supplying raw materials to the plastics industry and other manufacturers.

He said the refinery will also produce polypropylene, which will be supplied to plastic manufacturers, as well as base oil for industrial use.

Dangote said the project will go beyond petroleum products, with plans to increase power generation as part of a wider industrialisation programme.

“We are not only supplying jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, which is PMS that you use in your car. We are also supplying the plastic industries,” Dangote said.

He said the group would also produce polypropylene and base oil, adding that it was looking at opportunities to contribute to increased power generation in Kenya.

The billionaire said the refinery is part of a wider investment programme that will see his group invest about $16 billion in Kenya.

He described the planned investment as the largest investment by an African investor in Africa, saying Kenya remains one of the group's most important markets outside Nigeria.

“Just this funding alone is $16 billion, and is the largest investment that an African invests in Africa,” he said.

Dangote also explained why his group settled on Lamu after initially considering Mombasa and Tanzania's Tanga as possible locations for the refinery.

He said Tanga had initially been considered because of its connection to the pipeline carrying Ugandan crude, but the group later identified Lamu as a more suitable location.

According to Dangote, Lamu offered adequate water, sufficient sea depth and enough land for the planned development.

He said the refinery could become the centre of a much larger industrial complex, with significant activity expected in the area once the project is completed.

“When you go to Lamu, you will see that it is totally different. It will have more activities than any industrial centre in Kenya,” he said.

Dangote also addressed the question of where the refinery would source its crude, noting that Kenya and Uganda are expected to begin producing oil, while other countries in East Africa could also become suppliers.

He said the refinery would therefore have access to crude from the region as production increases.

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“Kenya will start producing crude very soon. Uganda is going to start very soon, and other neighbouring countries too in East Africa will start producing their own crude,” he said.

The proposed refinery is expected to serve markets beyond Kenya, with Dangote saying the group is looking at the wider East African market for its petroleum and industrial products.

He also linked the project to efforts to address Africa's power deficit, saying inadequate electricity remains one of the factors slowing industrial growth on the continent.

Dangote said he was in discussions with leaders in Kenya and other African countries on ways of mobilising resources for increased power generation.

He said the group plans to invest about $50 billion in industries over the next four years, including projects aimed at expanding power generation.

Dangote said the scale of the planned development would become clearer as the project progresses, arguing that Lamu could experience significant economic activity within four to five years.