Nigeria’s Dangote petroleum refinery will build fuel storage tanks in Namibia to hold at least 1.6 million barrels of gasoline and diesel.
Two sources briefed on the plan told Reuters the facility will be located in the port city of Walvis Bay, with construction set to begin soon. The move signals the refinery’s growing ambition to dominate Africa’s refined fuel market and reshape regional energy trade flows.
The $20 billion refinery, owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, began operations last year and processes 650,000 barrels of oil per day. Sources said the new tanks would supply fuel to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly southern Democratic Republic of Congo.
A Namibia Ports Authority official confirmed the plan, stating the tanks would be housed within Walvis Bay harbour, a key regional shipping hub.
Dangote’s refinery has steadily increased production and is eyeing new export markets beyond West Africa and now Asia. Last month, a gasoline shipment from the refinery was reportedly heading to Asia — its first beyond West African borders.
At full capacity, the refinery aims to meet Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand and export the surplus across the continent and beyond.
A Dangote spokesperson declined to comment on the Namibia expansion or the cost of the project.
