Dangote launches fuel storage and pipeline project in Namibia's Walvis Bay
- Dangote has unveiled a fuel tank farm and regional pipeline project at Walvis Bay in Namibia.
- The terminal will hold refined products from his Lagos refinery for supply across Southern Africa.
- Sources differ on the cost, capacity and pipeline length of the project.
Aliko Dangote has launched a fuel storage terminal and regional pipeline project at Walvis Bay in Namibia, as his group pushes to build a distribution network for refined petroleum products across Africa.
Namibia's President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was expected to officiate the launch on Wednesday, November 4, at Farm 58 outside Walvis Bay, according to Tribune. Senior government officials, regional leaders and industry stakeholders were at the ceremony.
The terminal is meant to store petrol and diesel from the Dangote refinery in Lagos and supply Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with a possible extension to the southern Democratic Republic of Congo.
What the sources say about the numbers
The reports differ on key figures. Tribune put the planned storage at at least 1.6 million barrels, described a wider regional pipeline network of more than 2,600 kilometres, and estimated investment at over $3.5 billion. Legit.ng reported a $2.5 billion project, storage of about 600 million litres (nearly four million barrels) and a 1,700-kilometre pipeline linking Namibia to neighbouring countries.
Legit.ng said 360 million litres would be for diesel and 240 million litres for petrol, and that the facility would be about eight times larger than Namibia's existing 75 million-litre national storage facility run by Namcor. It also said construction would take about 18 to 20 months.
Tribune reported that the project includes supporting infrastructure such as dispensing facilities, a truck loading terminal and a pipeline of roughly 16 kilometres connecting the fuel jetty to the storage complex.
Speaking at the launch, Dangote said the project would improve energy security across six African countries and cut transport costs and supply disruptions, according to Legit.ng.
Why it matters for Nigeria
The terminal gives the Lagos refinery another export route beyond Nigeria and West Africa. The two outlets gave different capacities for the refinery: Tribune said 650,000 barrels per day and that it began operations in 2024, while Legit.ng put it at 700,000 barrels per day.
Legit.ng quoted Gerrit van Rooyen, a senior economist at Oxford Economics Africa, saying the expansion would help diversify Dangote's export markets away from Europe and East Asia, where a shift to cleaner energy could weaken long-term fuel demand.
For Nigerians, a wider regional market for refined products could support demand for output from the refinery. The reports did not say how much of the fuel would be sold locally or how pump prices could be affected.
Dangote has also announced plans for a 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Kenya, alongside pipeline and storage plans in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Cameroon.
What happens next
The wider pipeline network will need regulatory approvals and cooperation from the countries involved before it can operate. Construction timelines and final costs are yet to be confirmed by the company.
