By Ahmed Aliyu, Abuja
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, while urging African governments to adopt policies that protect domestic industries and accelerate industrialisation.
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 longstanding supply bottlenecks across the continent.
Speaking during a wide-ranging interview with Financial Times Africa Editor, David Pilling, the industrialist disclosed that 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.
According to him, Africa’s aspiration for economic transformation will remain difficult to achieve without significant investments in infrastructure combined with industrial policies that promote local manufacturing, preserve productive capacity and create sustainable employment opportunities.
“Allowing imports to displace local production means we are exporting our jobs out of the continent and importing poverty into the continent,” Dangote said.
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 and fragmented distribution channels.
“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,” Dangote disclosed.
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.
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 complements plans to establish another refinery in Lamu, Kenya, with a projected refining capacity of approximately 700,000 barrels per day.
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 operational 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.
Dangote revealed that the investment decision was concluded within four months, although he alleged that vested commercial interests attempted to delay the project through legal proceedings shortly before its public announcement.
Beyond energy infrastructure, 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 from more established economies.
He questioned why African countries should be discouraged from supporting local industries when developed economies increasingly deploy similar measures to strengthen domestic manufacturing and employment.
Drawing parallels with recent developments in major global economies, he argued that industrial protection remains a legitimate and widely accepted economic strategy.
“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.
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.
“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 and investors to pursue ambitious industrial ventures capable of reshaping the continent’s economic future.
Looking beyond the energy sector, 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, where reliable power is essential for value addition.
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, industrial development and economic diversification.
Questioning why a continent blessed with abundant natural resources, vast arable land and a young population continues to grapple with poverty, Dangote insisted that Africa possesses all the ingredients necessary to become a major industrial powerhouse.
Expressing optimism about the continent’s trajectory, he maintained that Africa’s industrial awakening has already begun.
“The journey has started,” Dangote declared. “But now we’re awake, and we will make it happen.”
