Dangote to Open Training School in Lamu, Promises Jobs for 1,000 Locals

Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote has announced plans to establish a training school for 1,000 residents of Lamu County.

The institution will be created as part of efforts to prepare local workers for opportunities at the planned refinery.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, September 30, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sh2 trillion project.
Dangote told Lamu Governor Issa Timamy that local residents would be given priority when employment opportunities became available.

1,000 Locals to Receive Training

According to Dangote, 1,000 Lamu residents will undergo specialised training through the planned institution.
Those trained are expected to be considered for employment once the refinery begins its operations.
The initiative is intended to equip local residents with technical skills required to work at the massive facility.
Engineering students and graduates were particularly identified as having significant employment opportunities under the project.

Dangote said people holding engineering diplomas or degrees would have strong opportunities to secure jobs at the refinery.
He also indicated that the scale of the project would require recruitment beyond Lamu and Kenya.
Workers from other East African countries could also be considered as the refinery seeks to build its workforce.

60,000 Jobs Expected

Dangote said the refinery was expected to generate at least 60,000 employment opportunities for Lamu residents and other eligible workers.
The jobs are expected to benefit Kenyans as well as qualified individuals from across East Africa.
The businessman said the project's large workforce requirements would make skills development an important component of its implementation.

He further said greater investment would be made in developing African technical capacity for major infrastructure projects.
Dangote said the intention was to reduce dependence on skilled workers imported from countries such as China and India.
According to him, Africans should increasingly be trained and equipped to undertake complex industrial developments on the continent.

Refinery Expected Within 40 Months

Dangote also announced that construction of the refinery was expected to be completed within 40 months of the groundbreaking ceremony.
The facility is expected to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day when fully operational.
Other planned products include polypropylene, jet fuel and electricity, with up to 1,000 megawatts expected to be generated.

Part of the electricity produced is expected to be supplied to Kenya's national power grid.
Dangote said the refinery would also target markets across the Indian Ocean region and Europe.
The project is expected to strengthen regional energy security while reducing reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
Its wider objective has been described as retaining more economic value within African economies.