President Yoweri Museveni has thrown his support behind plans for a proposed East African regional oil refinery following high-level discussions with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote at State House, Nakasero.
The talks focused on industrial investment, regional integration, and the push for value addition across Africa’s energy sector.
Museveni used the meeting to restate Uganda’s long-standing economic position on processing raw materials within the continent rather than exporting them in unrefined form.
“Today at Nakasero, I met Mr. Aliko Dangote and we discussed the proposed East African regional refinery,” Museveni said.
He added that Uganda’s oil strategy has been shaped by the need to secure long-term benefits from its natural resources, including delaying production until refining capacity was prioritized.
“I informed him that from the very beginning, we have always opposed the export of raw materials without value addition. That is why Uganda delayed oil production because we insisted on first having a refinery. Without refining our oil, it would not make economic or strategic sense to simply export crude oil while others benefit from the finished products,” he said.
Museveni said the idea of a regional refinery aligns with broader African integration goals, arguing that cooperation among East African states would make such large-scale projects more viable and beneficial.
“I, therefore, welcomed the idea of a bigger regional refinery because our objective is African integration and shared prosperity. We cannot continue operating as fragmented and weak markets. If East Africa works together, such projects become more viable and beneficial to our people,” he said.
The President emphasized that Uganda remains committed to its domestic refinery project in Hoima, even as discussions on regional infrastructure continue.
“Uganda is ready to support the regional refinery initiative while also continuing with the development of our own refinery in Hoima,” he said.
The meeting comes at a time when East African nations are exploring joint industrial projects aimed at reducing dependency on imported fuel and strengthening intra-regional trade.