Dangote Group has signed an agreement with Cameroon’s state-owned oil refining company, Société Nationale de Raffinage (SONARA), to supply refined petroleum products to the Central African country, strengthening Nigeria’s position as a growing supplier of fuel to African markets.
The deal, as explained in a note, is expected to provide Cameroon with a stable and sustainable supply of petroleum products as the country seeks to secure fuel availability amid rising international prices and supply disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Cameroon has relied entirely on imported refined petroleum products since 2019, when an explosion damaged its only refinery, forcing the country to depend on foreign suppliers to meet domestic demand.
The partnership with Dangote and MRS is expected to strengthen its access to refined products and reduce exposure to disruptions in international fuel markets.
In the note, SONARA did not disclose the volume of petroleum products covered by the agreement, its financial value or when deliveries would commence.
The company also said a ceremony initially scheduled to formally launch the partnership had been postponed because of last-minute scheduling constraints involving Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group. However, a new date will be announced subsequently.
The agreement comes as Dangote intensifies efforts to expand its refinery’s reach across Africa, with growing interest from governments seeking alternative sources of refined petroleum products amid global energy market disruptions.
Only recently, Botswana disclosed that it was engaging Dangote over a potential fuel supply agreement as part of efforts to diversify its petroleum sources and reduce the risk of supply disruptions.
Bogolo Kenewendo, Botswana’s minister of minerals and energy, said the landlocked country was also engaging suppliers in Angola and Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen its fuel security.
“Because we are clear that we never want to have any fuel insecurity, we’ve engaged Dangote, we’ve engaged Angola, we’ve engaged Cote d’Ivoire to ensure that they can supply us,” Kenewendo said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Botswana imports all its refined petroleum products and is exploring alternative supply routes through Mozambique and Namibia to reduce its dependence on traditional distribution corridors. It is one of other African countries dependent on the Dangote refinery for petroleum products.
Africa’s richest man is also pursuing investments beyond refining to strengthen its regional distribution network.
The industrialist plans to invest more than $3.5 billion in a proposed 2,650-kilometre petroleum pipeline network linking Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, potentially providing access to landlocked markets across Southern Africa.
The Cameroon and Botswana developments reflect growing opportunities for the Nigerian refinery to supply countries seeking to diversify fuel imports and reduce dependence on traditional international suppliers.
According to fresh data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Dangote refinery’s combined exports rose to 54.63 million litres per day in September, up 37.33 percent from 39.78 million litres per day in August, an increase of 14.85 million litres within the period.
Feyishola Jaiyesimi is a writer and storyteller. She currently writes for the energy desk at BusinessDay with a focus on renewable energy and environmental issues. She began her journalism career as an agricultural reporter and now covers the energy sector, including oil, gas, electricity, environment, and renewables. She has been selected for professional training by the US Consulate, Lagos. She is a 2025 Dataphyte Biodiversity Reporting Fellow. Feyishola holds a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Environmental Biology from Ekiti State University.
