Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has held investment talks with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote at the State House in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.
The two discussed various issues amid ongoing regional debate over the location of a proposed multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in East Africa in which the Dangote Group is set to put a big sum of money.
The debate intensified after Kenyan President William Ruto revealed in Nairobi that the refinery could be built in Tanga, Tanzania.
Addressing the Tanzania Parliament in Dodoma on May 5, President Ruto described the Port of Tanga as an ideal location for the project, citing its strategic position and the need to strengthen regional integration.
However, he maintained that the final decision on the site would rest with private investors led by Dangote.
Dangote told the Financial Times on May 10, 2026, that he was leaning towards Mombasa, Kenya, citing the city’s deep-water port, stronger logistics infrastructure and growing regional demand.
The proposed refinery is expected to enhance East Africa’s energy security and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products from the Middle East.
The facility is designed to process crude oil from regional producers, including Uganda and Kenya, as well as imported crude for markets stretching to Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The development also comes as Tanzania and Uganda finalize the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which runs from Hoima in Uganda to Chongoleani in Tanga Region.
Uganda’s Hoima oil fields are expected to produce about 230,000 barrels of oil per day once commercial production begins later this year.
MG/as/APA