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Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to build large fuel storage tanks in Namibia’s Walvis Bay to hold at least 1.6 million barrels of gasoline and diesel, a strategic move to bolster Dangote’s dominance in African fuel supply, targeting markets in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and potentially southern DR Congo.
The move marks a strategic step in Dangote’s ambition to dominate fuel supply across Africa, potentially reshaping regional energy trade flows and improving access to refined products in southern Africa.
According to Business Insider, the US$20 billion refinery, which began operations in 2024, is the largest on the African continent, with a capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Ranked by Bloomberg as having a higher capacity than the ten largest refineries in Europe, the refinery currently produces aviation fuel, diesel, gasoline, and naphtha.
While still ramping up to full capacity, the refinery is steadily increasing output and exploring new export markets.
Its broader goal is to reduce Africa’s reliance on imported fuels and establish Nigeria as a key hub for refined petroleum products. Already, it has helped transform Nigeria into a net exporter of petroleum products.
While Dangote has yet to comment on the project publicly, a Namibian Ports Authority official confirmed the plan, adding that the tanks will be located within the Walvis Bay harbour.
The cost of the project was not disclosed, but one source indicated that construction is expected to begin soon.
The development follows news last month that Dangote’s refinery had sent its first gasoline cargo to Asia, marking its debut sale outside the West African region.
Once operating at full capacity, the Dangote refinery is projected to meet Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand and export surplus to regional and global markets, significantly reducing the continent’s dependency on fuel imports.
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