Honeywell Technologies has launched Forge Plant Cognition, a new industrial artificial intelligence platform, at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, in a move aimed at improving operational efficiency, production output and profitability. Announced on October 26, 2026, the platform combines Honeywell’s industrial and refining expertise with AI technology from NVIDIA and computing infrastructure from Dell Technologies. According to Reuters, the system is designed to help operators identify production bottlenecks, anticipate equipment and process problems, and make faster, better informed decisions across complex refinery operations. The deployment marks another step in the refinery’s long running collaboration with Honeywell as it pursues an ambitious expansion in refining capacity.
Honeywell estimates that the platform could generate more than 29 cents in gross operational benefits per barrel processed at the Lekki facility. At full capacity, this could translate into more than US$60 million in annual gross benefits, although the company stressed that the estimate is preliminary, excludes implementation costs and is not guaranteed. Forge Plant Cognition is designed to integrate real time operational data, engineering knowledge and physics based models to identify constraints, improve throughput and yields, reduce unplanned downtime and help refinery teams respond to emerging issues. The platform also aims to embed specialised technical knowledge into AI supported workflows, strengthening the ability of Nigerian engineers and operators to solve problems and manage increasingly sophisticated industrial systems.
The launch comes as Dangote targets a major increase in the refinery’s capacity from its existing 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, with Honeywell providing technology and expertise to support the expansion. The refinery’s scale makes operational efficiency commercially significant, with improvements in throughput, reliability and product yields potentially affecting its competitiveness in Nigeria and export markets. Beyond the immediate productivity ambitions, the deployment reflects the growing role of industrial AI in energy infrastructure, where digital systems are increasingly being used to improve asset performance and support technical workforce development. If the projected gains are realised, the platform could offer Dangote a substantial operational advantage while providing a prominent African example of AI being applied to large scale industrial production.
