Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery is preparing to build extensive fuel storage tanks in Namibia’s Walvis Bay, capable of holding at least 1.6 million barrels of gasoline and diesel.

This development underscores Dangote’s strategic vision to cement its dominance in Africa’s fuel supply chain, with the potential to reshape regional energy trade dynamics and improve access to refined petroleum products across southern Africa.

The $20 billion refinery, which commenced operations in 2024, stands as the largest on the African continent, boasting a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Bloomberg has ranked it as surpassing the combined capacity of the ten largest European refineries.

Currently, it produces aviation fuel, diesel, gasoline, and naphtha.

While still progressing toward full operational capacity, the refinery is steadily ramping up production and actively seeking new export markets.

Its overarching goal is to curtail Africa’s dependence on imported fuels and position Nigeria as a pivotal hub for refined petroleum products.

The facility has already played a significant role in transforming Nigeria into a net exporter of petroleum products.

According to sources speaking to Reuters, the upcoming storage tanks in Namibia will serve multiple countries, including Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia itself, with prospects for future expansion into the southern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Though Dangote Petroleum Refinery has yet to make an official statement regarding the project, a Namibian Ports Authority representative confirmed the plans and indicated the tanks will be situated within the Walvis Bay harbour.

The financial details of the project have not been disclosed, but construction is anticipated to commence shortly.

This announcement follows last month’s report that Dangote’s refinery dispatched its first gasoline shipment to Asia, marking its inaugural sale outside the West African market.

Once the refinery operates at full capacity, it is expected not only to fulfill Nigeria’s domestic fuel requirements but also to export surplus volumes to both regional and global markets, thereby significantly reducing Africa’s reliance on imported petroleum products.

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