Dangote signs fuel supply deal with Cameroon's SONARA, opens talks with Botswana

Dangote Group has signed a petroleum supply agreement with Cameroon's state-owned refiner, Société Nationale de Raffinage (SONARA), with MRS also involved in the partnership. SONARA announced the deal, which adds Central Africa to Dangote's growing list of continental fuel markets.

Cameroon has depended entirely on imported fuel since a 2019 explosion severely damaged its only refinery. SONARA said the arrangement would give the country more reliable access to refined petroleum products and reduce its vulnerability to disruptions in international fuel supply chains, particularly with rising oil prices and instability linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

No terms disclosed, launch ceremony postponed

Financial terms, delivery volumes and a start date for supply were not disclosed. SONARA said a ceremony planned to formally launch the partnership was postponed due to a scheduling conflict involving Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group. A new date will be confirmed later.

The Cameroon deal is part of a broader push by Dangote to turn its Lagos-based refinery into a key petroleum supplier across Africa. Botswana has separately confirmed it is in discussions with Dangote Group about a possible fuel supply agreement.

Botswana talks and regional pipeline plan

Bogolo Kenewendo, Botswana's minister of minerals and energy, said the country was also negotiating with Angola and Côte d'Ivoire to protect itself from fuel shortages. "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.

Botswana, a landlocked country that imports all its refined petroleum, is also exploring alternative supply routes through Mozambique and Namibia to reduce its reliance on existing distribution corridors. Beyond supply deals, Dangote has outlined plans to invest more than $3.5 billion in a proposed 2,650-kilometre pipeline network linking Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, with the aim of improving petroleum access in landlocked markets across Southern Africa.

Export volumes rise

Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that the Dangote refinery's combined exports rose to 54.63 million litres per day in September 2026, up from 39.78 million litres per day in August, a jump of 37.33% within a single month. The increase in export volumes, alongside the fuel supply discussions with Cameroon and Botswana, reflects the refinery's growing ambition to serve African governments seeking alternatives to traditional international petroleum suppliers.

In Nigeria, oil marketers have slashed petrol prices across major depots following Dangote Petroleum Refinery's latest N50 per litre reduction in the ex-depot price of petrol, intensifying competition in the downstream petroleum market. The latest price adjustments come after Dangote Refinery reduced its gantry price to N1,075 per litre from N1,125, marking its fourth petrol price cut within one month. Dangote Refinery-backed marketers also cut petrol prices to N1,264 per litre.

For Nigerian businesses and consumers, the Cameroon and Botswana deals signal a wider export outlet for Dangote's refinery, while the price cuts at home point to sharper competition in the downstream market.