Dangote refinery raises $2.5bn, may go public August

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has nearly completed a $2.5bn private share placement for Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE ahead of what is expected to be Africa’s largest initial public offering, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday.

According to people familiar with the transaction, the refinery owner sold a stake representing up to six per cent of the company in a deal that values the Lagos-based refinery at approximately $40bn, underscoring growing investor confidence in the continent’s largest single-train refinery.

The fundraising exercise reportedly drew overwhelming interest from investors, attracting about $4bn in demand, significantly exceeding the amount of shares on offer. People familiar with the transaction said the private placement was executed in phases.

The report stated, “Aliko Dangote has nearly completed a $2.5bn private stock placement for his refinery business, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company prepares for Africa’s largest initial public offering.

“Africa’s richest person sold a stake representing as much as six per cent of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE at a price that would value the company at about $40bn,” one of the people said, asking not to be identified while discussing confidential matters.

According to one of the sources, “The offer attracted around $4bn in demand. It initially sold about $2bn of shares before a further $500m was raised, largely backed by regional institutional investors.”

The sources, who requested anonymity because the discussions are confidential, said the fundraising marks a major milestone ahead of the company’s planned public listing. Officials of Dangote Industries declined to comment on the transaction.

The private placement follows another successful fundraising exercise in which the company recently secured $750m through a debt offering for the refinery, which currently processes about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day at its Lekki facility on the outskirts of Lagos.

The report noted that the refinery’s public listing could raise an additional $1.5bn to $2bn, with the initial public offering expected as early as August, although the timeline remains subject to market conditions and regulatory approvals.

One of the people familiar with the plans said, “The IPO could raise a further $1.5bn to $2bn with a listing expected as early as August.” The sources also disclosed that Dangote is deliberately prioritising African participation in both the private placement and the forthcoming public offering.

According to them, “Dangote’s emphasis on African investor participation in the private placements and the retail offering of the IPO is consistent with the billionaire’s push for greater regional ownership in the financing of the continent’s industrial development.”

They added that the planned public offering would be widely marketed to Nigerians, other Africans, and international retail investors. “The expected IPO is likely to be heavily marketed to Nigerians and other African and international retail investors in an effort to attract broad demand from ordinary citizens,” one of the people said.

The fresh capital is expected to support the refinery’s ambitious expansion programme. According to the sources, proceeds from the fundraising will be used to double the refinery’s processing capacity from 700,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, positioning it among the world’s largest refining complexes.

The expansion comes at a time when global energy markets continue to adjust to supply disruptions triggered by geopolitical tensions, with several countries seeking alternative fuel suppliers.

The Dangote refinery has increasingly emerged as a strategic supplier of refined petroleum products across Africa following disruptions in traditional international supply chains.

Commissioned in 2023 after years of construction, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is the largest single-train refinery in Africa and one of the biggest globally. The facility was established to end Nigeria’s decades-long dependence on imported refined petroleum products despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer.

Since commencing commercial operations, the refinery has begun supplying petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and other petroleum products to the domestic market while expanding exports across West Africa and beyond. The project has also significantly reduced Nigeria’s petrol import requirements and eased pressure on the country’s foreign exchange demand.

The planned IPO represents another landmark in Dangote’s strategy to broaden ownership of the refinery after financing its construction largely through a combination of shareholder funds, bank loans, and debt capital market issuances.

If completed, the listing is expected to rank among the largest capital market transactions ever undertaken in Africa, potentially raising between $1.5bn and $2bn in fresh equity while allowing retail and institutional investors to own shares in one of the continent’s most valuable industrial assets.(Punch)