…Seeks Stronger Protection For Local Industries
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, urging African governments to adopt policies that protect domestic industries and accelerate industrialization.
The industrialist, who gave the charge during a wide-ranging interview with Financial Times Africa Editor, David Pilling, said his group was 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.
For instance, he 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.
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Dangote maintained that Africa’s aspiration for economic transformation would be difficult to achieve without significant investments in infrastructure combined with industrial policies that promote local manufacturing, preserve productive capacity and create sustainable employment opportunities.
According to him, allowing imports to displace local production means we are exporting our jobs out of the continent and importing poverty into the continent.
Dangote explained that the Dangote Industries’ expansion formed 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.
Responding to a question on the Group’s plans for petroleum depots, pipelines and logistics infrastructure, he confirmed that the management remained very aggressive with that.
He also disclosed 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.
The industrialist explained: “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.”
He also said the Group was 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, adding 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, stressing that from the Dangote refinery to Namibia is just about four days of steaming and that the refined products will be distributed across interconnected markets, including Botswana and South Africa.
Th is even as he hinted that the Dangote Group was 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, including petroleum distribution expansion complements plans to establish another refinery in Lamu, Kenya, with a projected refining capacity of approximately 700,000 barrels per day.
Noting that East Africa’s growing economies, vibrant mining sector and increasing energy demand make the region an attractive destination for refining investments, the industrialist explained that the proposed refinery would source crude oil from multiple markets rather than depend exclusively on supplies from Kenya or Uganda, therby 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.
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.
Expressing concerns about why African countries should be discouraged from supporting local industries when developed economies increasingly deploy similar measures to strengthen domestic manufacturing and employment, the industrialist cited recent developments in major global economies to prove that industrial protection remains a legitimate and widely accepted economic strategy.
Dangote quipped: “If America is now saying, no, we are going to protect our industries, who are we in Africa not to protect our own industries?”.
The frontline industrialist disclosed that the Group had 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.
Beyond the energy sector, Dangote identified inadequate power supply, weak financial systems and underdeveloped industrial policies as major challenges constraining Africa’s economic growth, describing electricity as a fundamental requirement for industrialization, particularly in manufacturing, mining and mineral processing, where reliable power is essential for value addition.
Dangote maintained that with an estimated 650 million Africans still lacking access to electricity, addressing the continent’s energy deficit would unlock significant opportunities for job creation, industrial development and economic diversification.
