Dangote Refinery Targets $2 Billion Private Placement Ahead of IPO
By Aboki Forex —
Aliko Dangote has announced that the Dangote Refinery is aiming to raise nearly $2 billion through a private placement. The move comes as the company prepares for its planned initial public offering later this year.
Dangote disclosed this during a visit by Femi Otedola, chairman of First HoldCo, and other top executives to the refinery and fertiliser plants in the Lekki Free Trade Zone on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
According to Dangote, investor demand for the private placement has already exceeded expectations. Requests from interested buyers are approaching the $2 billion target. He said the company may eventually offer only a portion of that amount to investors.
The private placement is part of a broader strategy ahead of the refinery’s proposed IPO. Bloomberg reported earlier in May that the refinery could be valued at up to $50 billion before the listing. Dangote had hinted in 2025 that the company could release up to 10% of its shares, worth an estimated $5 billion.
Market watchers expect the public offering to happen before the end of the year. An official date has not been announced.
During the tour, Otedola and the First HoldCo delegation visited the fertiliser plants and the refinery’s jetty, a large marine facility designed to receive heavy cargo vessels.
Dangote also reiterated plans for a cross-border stock market listing. He said the move is meant to allow more Africans to invest directly in large-scale industrial projects across the continent. He has consistently argued that broader African participation is key to accelerating industrial growth and economic development.
In a separate report, Dangote said powerful groups benefiting from Nigeria’s fuel subsidy and import system tried to stop the construction of his $20 billion refinery. He explained that traders, shippers, and others feared losing billions of naira in profits if the refinery succeeded. He added that the refinery is now reducing Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports and is expected to expand to 1.4 million barrels per day.