Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote is extending his energy infrastructure ambitions into Southern Africa with the launch of the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Project in Walvis Bay, Namibia. The project, being developed by Dangote Industries, is designed to establish a major petroleum storage and distribution hub capable of holding approximately 1.6 million barrels of refined petroleum products. Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is expected to officiate the project’s launch on November 4, 2026, alongside Dangote and other government and industry representatives. The development builds on plans first reported by Reuters in July 2025, when the group outlined its intention to construct storage facilities at Walvis Bay to supply petrol and diesel to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with potential distribution into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The proposed facility is expected to include storage infrastructure for petrol and diesel, dispensing facilities, a truck port and an approximately 16-kilometre pipeline connecting the fuel jetty to the tank farm. The wider regional distribution plan includes pipeline connections extending inland from Walvis Bay towards Otjiwarongo and Rundu, with a proposed link towards Ghanzi in Botswana. The infrastructure is intended to reduce dependence on long-distance road transportation, improve the movement of petroleum products and strengthen fuel supply security across neighbouring markets. Namibia’s Walvis Bay port offers a strategic location for the project, providing maritime access and established logistics connections to several landlocked Southern African economies. The proposed terminal is estimated to require an investment of approximately $140 million, although the wider pipeline network forms part of a much larger regional infrastructure ambition.
The Namibia development is part of Dangote’s broader strategy to connect his Nigerian refining operations with distribution networks across the continent. The group has outlined plans for more than 2,600 kilometres of fuel pipelines across Southern Africa, with an estimated budget exceeding $3.5 billion, linking Namibia with Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The strategy seeks to build an integrated energy supply chain spanning refining, storage and transportation, allowing Dangote to reach markets beyond West Africa while expanding the commercial reach of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos. For Namibia, the proposed investment could strengthen Walvis Bay’s position as a regional energy and logistics gateway, while creating opportunities across construction, engineering, transportation and industrial services. However, the tank farm remains subject to the necessary environmental and development approvals before construction can proceed.
