Namibia: Dangote Promises Cheaper Fuel for Namibia...Launches N$41.6b Pipeline Project in Walvis

Walvis Bay — Namibians could see a significant reduction in fuel prices when the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline project becomes operational.

This promise was made yesterday by the Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote during the launch of this N$41.6 billion regional pipeline project situated just outside Walvis Bay at Farm 58.

The project, being developed by Dangote Industries Limited, aims to establish a petroleum storage and distribution facility in Walvis Bay. It is supported by pipeline infrastructure designed to improve fuel transportation and distribution across Namibia.Dangote, during the launch, told Namibians that the project aims to reduce fuel supply costs and improve access to petroleum products for Namibia and landlocked countries in the region.

"When we invest in the pipeline, it is not that we just want to make money out of the pipeline. It is because we want to heavily invest so that most of the landlocked countries will be able to access petroleum products at a cheaper price," he said.

"I can assure you, Your Excellency, your petroleum prices will be much, much cheaper than what they are today," Dangote told President Netumbo-Nandi Ndaitwah.

He said the project will include a petroleum storage facility with a capacity of approximately 600 million litres, equivalent to about four million barrels.

Of this capacity, he says 360 million litres will be allocated to diesel and 240 million litres to petrol.

The development will also include truck-loading facilities, dispensing infrastructure and an approximately 1 700-kilometre regional pipeline network.

The pipeline is also planned to extend from Walvis Bay towards Otjiwarongo, northwards to Rundu and eastwards towards Francistown in Botswana.

The broader distribution network is expected to serve Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The final routes are subject to engineering studies, surveys and regulatory approvals.

Dangote said the investment would position Walvis Bay as a strategic Atlantic energy gateway and a regional logistics hub, reducing the cost and logistical challenges associated with transporting petroleum products to landlocked countries.

"The project is part of a broader African industrialisation strategy aimed at connecting production, storage and distribution infrastructure across the continent," he said.

He noted that the Dangote Group also invested in petroleum refining, fertiliser production and pipeline infrastructure in other African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The businessman added that the company's approach was to reinvest profits into African economies rather than simply extract money from the countries in which it operates.

"When we come into a country in Africa, we are coming home. We are not coming to make money and take the money away. We are going to continuously invest our profit and bring additional capital to expand the businesses that we are in," he said.

He noted that the Walvis Bay development would create opportunities for Namibian contractors, transport operators, professionals, young people and small and medium-sized enterprises during construction and operations.

The project is also expected to support local procurement, skills development and employment while strengthening regional trade.

Dangote then told the President that the investment was only the beginning of the group's ambitions in Namibia.

"We want to explore further investment opportunities. Namibia deserves more than the project being launched," he told the President.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah applauded Dangote for investing in Namibia.

She said the investment materialised following her engagement with Dangote during his first visit to Namibia in August 2025.

"He then committed to investing in the country," she said.

She stated that the project was aimed at strengthening fuel supply security for Namibia and its landlocked neighbours, including parts of the DRC and potentially South Africa.

She described the development as an important step towards positioning Namibia as a regional energy and logistics hub.

Read the original article on New Era.