The war in the Middle East is also having repercussions around the world. Africa is not spared from the economic consequences: inflation, risk of fertilizer shortages. Oil, too, is particularly affected, due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. Faced with these disruptions, Nigeria wants to position itself as a key player on the continent, thanks to Aliko Dangote's mega refinery. In addition to ensuring domestic demand, the military exported its fuels to other African countries.

Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana and Togo have all received fuel from Aliko Dangote. 12 shipments delivered, i.e. just over 450,000 tonnes of fuel, Dangote announced in a statement. According to Bloomberg, this represents less than a fifth of the group's monthly production.

This delivery to other African countries is a first since the Lekki mega refinery reached its capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, "exceeding Nigeria's domestic demand for fuel," the company said.

Since the beginning of the war in the Middle East, Dangote has been a bulwark against a petrol shortage on the continent. A few days ago, in an interview with the Economist newspaper, Aliko Dangote said he was receiving calls from many potential buyers. "They are ready to pay any price," declared the millionaire. Countries "outside Africa" are even interested, the group said in a statement, "mainly for aviation fuel. »

A response to soaring prices

Oil prices have soared since the start of the conflict between Iran and Israeli-American allies on February 28 and many countries have announced the implementation of subsidies to limit price increases at the pump.

With its capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the refinery, located east of Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital, can also meet the needs of Africa's most populous country with its more than 230 million inhabitants. In Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, petrol prices have recently risen from 830 naira per litre in Lagos to more than 1,300 naira (from 0.53 to 0.83 euros), a record in a country where the pump price was only 195 naira at the beginning of 2023.

« By supplying neighbouring economies and other countries, the Dangote Refinery is expected to help boost energy security in West, East and Central Africa ", the statement added. At the beginning of the war, Dangote had assured that he was prioritising the Nigerian market in order to avoid any fuel shortage in the country. The group had said it was "not immune" to economic shocks caused by the war, such as the increase in the price of crude, transport fares and the cost of insurance.

Before the opening of the private Dangote refinery in 2024, Nigeria had to import almost all of its fuels and shortages were recurrent. The Nigerian government has not yet put in place any specific measures to limit the rise in prices at the pump. (RFI, 2026-03-24)