Kenya’s President William Ruto has praised Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote, crediting him with helping to address long-standing fuel scarcity challenges in Nigeria through the construction of the Dangote Refinery.

Ruto made the remarks on Wednesday at an infrastructure summit in Nairobi, where he was advocating for African-driven solutions to the continent’s energy problems.

He said Nigeria, despite being a major oil-producing nation for decades, had struggled with fuel shortages and long queues at petrol stations for years.

According to him, the situation only began to improve after Dangote built a private refinery in Lagos.

Ruto said Africa does not need to rely on solutions from Europe or Asia, stressing that the continent already has the expertise and financial capacity to solve its own problems.

He urged African leaders, industrialists, and investors to take decisive action in addressing infrastructure and energy gaps across the continent.

Dangote, who attended the summit, reportedly pledged support for a proposed East African refinery project, provided regional governments offer full backing.

The Kenyan president cited the Nigerian refinery as an example of how private sector investment can drive large-scale industrial transformation in Africa.

Nigeria’s state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna have faced years of failed rehabilitation attempts, leading to increased reliance on private refining capacity.

However, fuel prices in Nigeria remain high despite improved domestic refining, with ongoing pressure on supply and distribution costs.