Dangote to Build Training School in Lamu, Promises Jobs for 1,000 Residents
Dangote Group will establish a training school in Lamu to prepare 1,000 local people for employment opportunities expected to arise from the Sh2 trillion East African Refinery and associated industries.
Dangote Group president Aliko Dangote announced the plan Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the refinery, saying the company wants residents to benefit directly from the massive investment.
Dangote said the training programme will target people with engineering degrees, diplomas and other relevant qualifications, preparing them for opportunities across the refinery’s operations and the wider industrial ecosystem expected to develop around the project.
“To the governor of Lamu, before we start even our work, which will be in the next couple of days, I want to assure you, we are coming here to set up a training school that will train 1,000 of your people,” Dangote said.
He added: “Anybody who has an engineering degree, diploma, or whatever, tell him that he has a job. His job is guaranteed.”
Beyond a Refinery: Building an Industrial Ecosystem
The announcement came as Dangote outlined plans to make the Lamu refinery more than a petroleum processing facility, with the project expected to anchor a wider industrial zone.
He said the experience gained from developing the Dangote refinery in Nigeria had demonstrated how a large-scale energy project could stimulate other businesses and create opportunities along the value chain.
“We are not here merely to build tanks, pipelines, processing units and jetties. We are here to help build an industrial ecosystem,” he said.
Dangote said the ecosystem would cover energy, petrochemicals, logistics, engineering, marine services, manufacturing, skills, technology and small and medium-sized enterprises.
He said the industries would generate thousands of opportunities for people across the value chain, potentially transforming Lamu’s economic landscape.
The training school is expected to provide a link between local skills and the employment needs of the refinery and related industries.
For a county that has traditionally relied heavily on tourism, fishing and other coastal economic activities, the planned refinery represents a major new industrial investment.
Addressing the Local Skills Question
Dangote’s announcement also addresses one of the key questions surrounding large-scale investments: whether local communities will acquire the skills needed to secure jobs created by the projects.
Rather than relying entirely on workers recruited from outside Lamu, the company plans to build a local skills base ahead of the refinery’s operations.
Refinery Capacity and Output
The refinery itself is designed to process approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Dangote said the facility will also generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity, produce one million tonnes of polypropylene and manufacture base oil.
He said the project would also contribute to the supply of jet fuel to international markets.
The planned industrial ecosystem around the refinery is expected to create opportunities beyond direct employment at the facility, including in transportation, engineering, construction, logistics, manufacturing and services.
Replicating the Nigerian Experience
Dangote said the company wanted to replicate lessons from its Nigerian operations in Lamu, where the refinery has been linked to the development of other businesses and industrial activities.
The billionaire has set a 40-month timeline for completion of the Lamu refinery, saying he expects African leaders who attended the groundbreaking to return for its commissioning.
The training school therefore forms part of Dangote’s broader pitch for the project: that the investment should create not only a refinery, but also a skilled workforce and new industries capable of supporting Lamu and the wider region.
For Lamu residents, the promised training programme could provide an early pathway into the employment opportunities expected to emerge as construction and development of the refinery gather pace.