Dangote Petroleum Refinery is preparing to deploy a new artificial intelligence platform projected to generate more than $60 million in annual gross operational benefits at full capacity, while using the technology to strengthen local engineering expertise and reduce dependence on foreign specialists.
The Lekki-based facility will become the first industrial plant to deploy Honeywell Technologies’ Forge Plant Cognition platform, according to the company’s announcement on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The system combines Honeywell’s industrial engineering expertise with NVIDIA’s artificial intelligence capabilities and Dell Technologies’ computing infrastructure. It is designed to help refinery operators detect production constraints, anticipate equipment problems and make faster operational decisions.
Honeywell estimates that the technology could deliver benefits exceeding 29 cents per barrel processed. At full refining capacity, this could translate into more than $60 million annually.
However, the company described the figures as preliminary estimates specific to the Dangote facility. Actual results will depend on operating conditions, and the projected benefits should not be treated as guaranteed savings or additional profit.
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Unlike conventional monitoring systems that primarily track plant conditions and flag irregularities, Forge Plant Cognition is designed to combine real-time operating data with engineering knowledge, advanced calculations and physics-based models.
The platform could help engineers identify bottlenecks that restrict production, improve product yields and detect developing faults before they trigger costly shutdowns.
Its three principal objectives are to identify opportunities to improve refining margins, protect output by reducing unplanned downtime and make specialised engineering knowledge more accessible to plant personnel.
These functions matter because even a large refinery can lose value when equipment failures interrupt production or operating constraints prevent it from processing crude oil efficiently. Earlier detection and better-informed decisions could help the facility extract more value from its existing assets.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, David Bird, said the company selected the platform to improve performance and develop Nigerian engineering talent.
He described the investment as part of the refinery’s commitment to operational excellence, advanced technology and training local personnel to international standards.
Nigerian engineers at the centre
The deployment also supports Dangote Refinery’s ambition to build a workforce comprising more than 70 per cent Nigerians.
By making specialised process knowledge available through AI-powered tools, the system could help local engineers tackle complex technical problems without relying as heavily on external specialists.
Honeywell Technologies UOP President Rajesh Gattupalli said the partnership demonstrated how AI could improve productivity, reliability and profitability in large industrial facilities.
The workforce target is significant because adopting advanced technology alone does not guarantee local skills development. Its long-term value will depend on whether Nigerian personnel receive the training and practical experience needed to operate, maintain and improve the systems.
The next test will be measurable performance: whether the platform delivers the projected operational benefits, reduces downtime and strengthens local technical capacity.
If those gains materialise, the deployment could offer a model for applying AI to other complex industrial operations in Nigeria. For now, the $60 million figure remains a projection, with actual results dependent on implementation and refinery performance.
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