ABUJA, Nigeria — The billionaire owner of Africa's largest refinery plans to expand its capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day to meet growing fuel needs in the continent and beyond.

Aliko Dangote, who is Africa's richest person, said the Dangote refinery, in Nigeria's economic hub of Lagos, will more than double its current existing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day with the aid of external financing.

“When it is completed, this will be the largest refinery ever built at a single site, surpassing India’s Jamnagar refinery,” Dangote told reporters on Sunday, referring to the world's biggest refinery in India.

Nigeria is one of Africa’s top oil producers but imports refined petroleum products for its own use. The nation’s oil and natural gas sector has struggled for many years, and mo

See Full Page