The ambition of Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, to transform the continent's energy independence is taking a monumental leap forward. His colossal Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Nigeria is now extending its reach far beyond West Africa, with plans confirmed to construct massive fuel storage tanks in Walvis Bay, Namibia. This strategic move underscores the refinery's clear intent to dominate refined fuel supply across Africa and beyond, a development poised to fundamentally reshape energy trade flows and significantly enhance access to essential petroleum products for nations across Southern Africa.
The sheer scale of this new venture is impressive. The planned storage facility in Namibia will boast a capacity of at least 1.6 million barrels of gasoline and diesel. From this key port city, Dangote aims to supply refined fuel to a broad swathe of southern African countries, including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with potential future expansion to serve the southern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Construction of these pivotal storage tanks is set to begin shortly, as confirmed by a Namibia Ports Authority official, who noted their placement within the strategic Walvis Bay harbour.
The Dangote Refinery, built at an staggering cost of $20 billion and operational since last year, is already a game-changer. With a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), it is actively ramping up production and aggressively seeking new markets. Just last month, the refinery sent its first gasoline cargo to Asia, marking its debut sale outside the West African region. At full capacity, the plant is expected to meet Nigeria's entire domestic demand for refined fuels, which has already led to a sharp reduction in the country's imports, with the surplus earmarked for export across the continent and globally.
