What to Know About the Indian Firm Behind Dangote’s Kenya Refinery

Engineers India Limited has emerged as a central player in Aliko Dangote’s push into East Africa after securing a contract worth more than $450 million for the Nigerian billionaire’s planned refinery and petrochemical complex in Kenya.

The New Delhi-headquartered engineering consultancy will serve as project management consultant and engineering, procurement and construction management consultant for the proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day facility.

Dangote plans to build the refinery in Lamu as part of an expansion beyond its giant refining operation in Nigeria. The Kenyan plant is expected to take about three years to build and is intended to supply Kenya and neighbouring East African markets, while also producing fuel for export.

But Engineers India is far from a new name in the refining industry or in Dangote’s business empire.

Who is Engineers India?

Engineers India Limited, commonly known as EIL, was established in 1965 and is controlled by the Indian government through a 51.32% stake. It operates under India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange.

The company provides engineering, project management, procurement and construction services, with its traditional strengths concentrated in oil and gas, refining and petrochemicals. It has since expanded into areas including fertilisers, infrastructure, mining, water, nuclear and renewable energy.

EIL says it has handled more than 8,000 assignments, including 700 major projects. Its track record includes 91 major refinery projects, 45 oil and gas processing projects, 248 offshore platforms and 54 pipeline projects.

Its influence is particularly significant in India, where the company says its engineering footprint extends to 20 of the country’s 23 refineries. It has also helped deliver refining capacity of more than four million barrels per day in India.

The company employed more than 2,600 people as of March 2025, including more than 2,300 engineers and other professionals.

A long relationship with Dangote

The Kenya contract builds on a relationship between EIL and Dangote that stretches back to the construction of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.

EIL served as both project management and EPCM consultant for the refinery and petrochemical complex in the Lekki Free Zone, an assignment the Indian company describes as its largest overseas consultancy project.

That experience is particularly relevant to the Kenyan project because EIL will again oversee key elements of engineering, procurement and construction rather than simply providing preliminary technical advice.

The relationship has also continued beyond the completion of the original Lagos refinery.

In January, Dangote awarded EIL another contract worth more than $350 million to work on plans to expand the Lagos refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day. The expansion also envisages increasing polypropylene production from 830,000 tonnes a year to 2.4 million tonnes.

The Kenyan award therefore gives EIL more than $800 million in recently announced consultancy work tied to Dangote’s refinery expansion plans in Nigeria and East Africa.

Not its first refinery job in Kenya

EIL also has previous experience in Kenya’s refining sector.

In 2012, the company worked on the Mombasa Refinery Upgrade Project for Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited, preparing a detailed feasibility report and cost estimates for the project.

The refinery subsequently ceased conventional crude processing, leaving Kenya heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products.

Dangote’s proposed Lamu project would mark a much larger re-entry into domestic refining. At 700,000 barrels per day, its planned capacity would also exceed the initial 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity of Dangote’s Lagos refinery.

As PMC and EPCM consultant, EIL will have an oversight role across much of the refinery’s development.

Its project management operations typically cover engineering and procurement as well as management of construction at the site, coordinating technology licensors, equipment vendors, contractors and subcontractors during project execution.

Dangote has already started site selection, soil testing and engineering work for the Kenya refinery, according to company executives. The group has said the project could be financed through a combination of internal cash, bonds and proceeds from its planned refinery initial public offering.

The new contract also arrives as Engineers India expands its international business. Outside India and Nigeria, its refinery and energy portfolio has included projects for Sonatrach in Algeria, ADNOC entities in the United Arab Emirates, a refinery project in Mongolia and an integrated natural gas liquids and power project in Guyana.

The company reported revenue from operations of $406 million for the financial year ended March 2026, up 27.1% from last year’s record.