The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has entered into a strategic partnership with global petrochemical distribution leader Vinmar Group to export polypropylene from its newly commissioned $2 billion petrochemical plant in Lagos, Nigeria.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Fatima Aliko Dangote, Executive Director at Dangote Group, as reported by Reuters.

“We’re pleased to partner with Vinmar to introduce Dangote Polypropylene to the global markets,” she said, highlighting the importance of the alliance in expanding the company’s international footprint.

The state-of-the-art Dangote petrochemical facility began production in March 2025 and is designed to supply critical feedstocks to both local industries and global markets. 

With an annual production capacity of 830,000 metric tonnes, it is now the largest polypropylene production plant in Africa. 

The facility comprises two units, producing 500,000 mt/year and 330,000 mt/year respectively.

Polypropylene is a versatile thermoplastic polymer used in packaging, textiles, automotive parts, and consumer goods. 

It is in high demand across Nigeria. 

Before now, the country imported around 90% of its annual polypropylene needs, estimated at 250,000 metric tonnes. 

The limited output from Nigeria’s only other producer, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals in Port Harcourt, falls short of domestic requirements.

The Dangote petrochemical complex aims to close this supply gap and position Nigeria as a net exporter in the global polypropylene market. 

In 2022 alone, Nigeria’s polypropylene import bill peaked at $407 million, with key suppliers including Saudi Arabia, South Korea, China, South Africa, and Vietnam.

This new collaboration is expected to unlock fresh export markets for Dangote Polypropylene while strengthening Nigeria’s non-oil export portfolio. 

In April 2025, jet fuel from the Dangote refinery entered the U.S. market, taking advantage of a surge in American jet fuel imports. 

Within just one year of commercial operations, the integrated Dangote refinery and petrochemical plant has extended its export reach to markets in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Earlier this month, Chairman Aliko Dangote stated that recent U.S. trade tariffs would not impact exports from the company’s petrochemical division.

Vinmar Group, a global chemicals and plastics seller, will play a key role in marketing Dangote’s broad range of polypropylene grades to international buyers.

Victor Bassey is an experienced energy analyst with over seven years of knowledge in analyzing trends across the energy industry, from markets to operations, climate change, and geopolitics. Victor...

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *