Across Africa, energy costs are once again putting pressure on households and businesses, from Egypt’s latest fuel price adjustment to Nigeria’s petrol surge approaching ₦1,000 per litre.
The ripple effects are evident everywhere, long queues at filling stations, increased transport fares, and a steady rise in food prices, all underscoring how fluctuations in oil prices can strain entire economies.
In Egypt, Egypt’s Record Diesel Imports Intensify European Supply Shortages, the government announced another round of fuel price hikes in mid-October 2025, its second this year, as part of efforts to reduce fiscal pressure.
Diesel rose from 15.50 to 17.50 Egyptian pounds per litre, while 92-octane petrol increased to 19.25 pounds and 95-octane to 21 pounds per litre.
Authorities attributed the move to shifts in the global energy market and the need to trim subsidy spending, but the consequences were immediate.
Transport operators raised fares, delivery charges went up, and inflation, already elevated, was expected to rise further.
Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, is facing similar difficulties.
Despite assurances from the continent’s largest refinery that it holds over 310 million liters of petrol, pump prices have spiked in recent weeks, reaching nearly ₦1,000 per litre in several states.
While Nigeria and Egypt have their own distinct challenges, both cases highlight a broader regional reality, Africa’s vulnerability to global energy price swings.
For millions of Africans, the burden of rising fuel costs is deeply personal. Commuters now spend more of their income on transport, farmers struggle with higher costs to move produce, and businesses relying on generators to cope with power outages face mounting expenses.
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In Lagos and Cairo alike, traders are shortening working hours, delivery companies are hiking prices, and daily movement is increasingly dictated by necessity rather than choice.
According to Global PetrolPrices, these are the African countries with the highest fuel prices in October 2025, measured in U.S. dollars per litre.
— Malawi – $2.014 ranked 12th globally
— Central African Republic – $1.849 ranked 23rd globally
— Senegal – $1.746 ranked 31st globally
— Zimbabwe – $1.550 ranked 48th globally
— Burkina Faso – $1.499 ranked 52nd globally
— Cameroon – $1.479 ranked 53rd globally
— Ivory Coast – $1.464 ranked 54th globally
— Seychelles – $1.454 ranked 56th globally
— Uganda – $1.429 ranked 60th globally
— Kenya – $1.417 ranked 61st globally
Among these, Malawi recorded the highest fuel price on the continent at $2.014 per litre, ranking 12th globally, while Kenya had the lowest among the top ten at $1.417 per litre, placing 61st worldwide.
For the first time this year, the Central African Republic is no longer at the top of the list.
Compared to last month, when the global average fuel price stood at $1.31 per litre, prices in the Central African Republic, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Uganda all saw slight decreases.
Malawi recorded the only price increase for the month, with the current global average standing at $1.29 per litre.
Fuel prices in Zimbabwe and Kenya remained unchanged, while Seychelles replaced Morocco on the list.
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Image Credit: The Niche
