Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ Africa’s industrialist-in-chief Aliko Dangote has raised an alarm on the influx of Russian petroleum products dumped in bulk in African markets, warning that the continent’s weak refining sector is under siege.
Speaking at an oil industry conference in Abuja, Dangote accused Russian fuel exporters of dumping low-cost, often substandard or toxic products across Africa in volumes that could not meet safety and environmental standards in Western countries. “We are being increasingly confronted with the dumping of cheap, often toxic petroleum products,” he explained, calling on African governments to move to implement tougher regulations to protect health and industry.
This trend, he warned, jeopardizes the viability of fresh investment in African oil infrastructure. Dangote, who in 2024 inaugurated a $20 billion mega-refinery on the outskirts of Lagos, told his 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery the continent’s biggest is already being squeezed by these illicit fuel streams. He is expanding the refinery’s capacity to 700,000 barrels per day, yet the competition for market share intensifies daily.
Ironically, even when seven million barrels of crude are being produced every day in Africa, the continent only refines 40 per cent of what it consumes. This disparity provides opportunities for foreign entities to take advantage of Africa’s lax fuel regulations. Since June, Dangote’s refinery has sent over one million tonnes of petrol; however, traders who operate outside regulatory control continue to reduce prices below those of domestic supply channels.
He also criticized the Lomé, Togo, floating oil market, a notorious offshore storage facility that holds over two million barrels of petroleum on behalf of global traders, as a significant loophole evading taxation and regulation at the cost of domestic industries.
Although Africa remains a fairly modest buyer of Russian oil compared to nations like Brazil and Turkey, the recent surge is substantial. Russian deliveries of diesel and gas oil to Africa dropped to some 0.7 million tonnes in June, but Dangote insists the impact is already destabilizing.
Demanding EU-level tariffs, standards, and environmental targets, Dangote called on leaders around the continent to increase control. “We need to safeguard our people and our industries. In the absence of strong policy interventions, Africa’s refining future will be left in the hands of polluters and profiteers,” he cautioned.
He issued a clear warning: Africa must act swiftly to avoid becoming the global repository for contaminated oil.
