The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled plans to establish an extensive petroleum distribution network across Africa through strategic investments in pipelines, storage facilities and supply corridors.
Mr Dangote said the group is aggressively expanding its petroleum logistics and distribution infrastructure across East, Central and Southern Africa as part of efforts to strengthen energy security, improve access to refined products and eliminate supply bottlenecks.
He disclosed this during an interview with Financial Times Africa Editor David Pilling.
According to him, the group recently acquired a 25 per cent stake in a petroleum products pipeline network in Kenya and is pursuing additional infrastructure projects connecting Djibouti and Ethiopia, alongside investments in Cameroon and Namibia.
He said Africa’s aspiration for economic transformation will remain difficult to achieve without significant investments in infrastructure combined with industrial policies that promote local manufacturing and create sustainable employment.
“Allowing imports to displace local production means we are exporting our jobs out of the continent and importing poverty into the continent,” he said.
Mr Dangote explained that the expansion forms part of a broader strategy to develop an interconnected African energy supply system capable of linking major refining centres with underserved markets that have historically depended on imported petroleum products.
“We are very aggressive with that,” he said, in response to questions about the group’s plans for petroleum depots, pipelines and logistics infrastructure.
He revealed that the acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in Kenya’s petroleum pipeline network was achieved with the support of the Kenyan government and would significantly enhance the movement of refined petroleum products within the East African region.
“Just let me tell you, yesterday, with the support from the President of Kenya, we bought 25 per cent of the pipeline network for the distribution of petroleum products,” Mr Dangote said.
The group is also developing a major petroleum distribution corridor linking Djibouti and Addis Ababa, complete with storage terminals and tank farms designed to facilitate the efficient transportation and storage of refined products.
He added that another strategic project in Cameroon is nearing completion, while Namibia has been identified as a critical hub in the group’s plan to penetrate Southern African markets.
Mr Dangote described Namibia as a particularly attractive location because of its strategic proximity to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.
“From our refinery to Namibia is just about four days of steaming,” he noted.
According to him, refined products from the Lagos refinery will be transported to Namibia and distributed across interconnected markets, including Botswana and South Africa.
The group is also examining other supply corridors extending into Zimbabwe and Zambia as part of its broader objective of developing a continental network supported by strategically located storage and transportation infrastructure.
The petroleum distribution expansion, he said, complements plans to establish another refinery in Lamu, Kenya, with a projected refining capacity of approximately 700,000 barrels per day.
Mr Dangote noted that East Africa’s growing economies, vibrant mining sector and increasing energy demand make the region an attractive destination for refining investments.
He explained that the proposed refinery would source crude oil from multiple markets rather than depend exclusively on supplies from Kenya or Uganda, ensuring greater flexibility and long-term sustainability.
According to him, technical assessments identified Lamu as the preferred location because of its deep-water access, marine infrastructure and availability of critical resources required for large-scale refining operations.
He revealed that the investment decision was concluded within four months, although vested commercial interests attempted to delay the project through legal proceedings shortly before its public announcement.
Beyond energy infrastructure, Mr Dangote strongly advocated policies aimed at protecting domestic industries from unfair competition, arguing that industrialisation cannot thrive if emerging African manufacturers are exposed to unrestricted imports.
He questioned why African countries should be discouraged from supporting local industries when developed economies deploy similar measures.
“If America is now saying, ‘ No, we are going to protect our industries, who are we in Africa not to protect our own industries?” he asked.
Mr Dangote also disclosed that the group has earmarked approximately $50 billion for investments between 2026 and 2030, describing the programme as part of a broader mission to demonstrate that African businesses can successfully execute transformative industrial projects at scale.
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“The legacy we are trying to set up is: how do we industrialise our continent?” he said.
According to him, the investment programme is designed not only to expand the group’s operations but also to inspire other African entrepreneurs to pursue ambitious industrial ventures.
Mr Dangote identified inadequate power supply, weak financial systems and underdeveloped industrial policies as major challenges constraining Africa’s economic growth.
He described electricity as a fundamental requirement for industrialisation, particularly in manufacturing, mining and mineral processing.
With an estimated 650 million Africans still lacking access to electricity, he stressed that addressing the continent’s energy deficit would unlock significant opportunities for job creation and industrial development.
“The journey has started,” Mr Dangote said. “But now we’re awake, and we will make it happen.”
