Written by: Islam Al-Saqqa
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, Africa's wealthiest person, has launched a massive fuel storage and pipeline transport project in Namibia at a cost of $2.5 billion, aiming to supply the southern part of the continent's markets with petroleum products.
Project Details
Namibian President Nthenya Ndindetu announced the inauguration of the project at Farm 58 in Walvis Bay, which includes the construction of a storage facility with a capacity of 600 million liters and a pipeline network extending approximately 1,700 kilometers.
The project aims to improve fuel supplies for landlocked markets in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, with the possibility of future expansion to include the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Implementation Schedule and Capacity
According to Reuters, the project is scheduled to be completed within 18 to 20 months, and its capacity will be eight times the capacity of the current Namcor facility, which stands at 75 million liters.
Discussions regarding the investment began in June 2025 during the first meeting between Dangote and the President of Namibia, and the latter called on local companies to participate, emphasizing the creation of job opportunities and the training of young cadres.
Continental Expansion for Dangote Group
The project represents part of a broader expansion plan for the Dangote Group, which operates Africa's largest oil refinery near Lagos with a capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, aiming to increase it to 1.4 million barrels by 2030 as part of a $14.3 billion investment program.
In September 2024, the group issued $1.6 billion in shares to fund the expansion, and last October, it acquired 25% of the Kenya Pipeline Company for $335 million, with plans to invest an additional $1.5 billion in its network.
Dangote confirmed his commitment to expanding his investments in other sectors of the Namibian economy, stating: "Africa must manufacture its own industry."
