WALVIS BAY, Namibia, 5 November 2026, Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has launched a $2.5 billion fuel storage and regional pipeline project in Namibia, in a major push to strengthen petroleum distribution and energy security across Southern Africa.

The project was launched on Wednesday at Farm 58, near Walvis Bay, alongside Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

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It is expected to position the coastal city as a regional fuel logistics hub, supplying Namibia and neighbouring countries through expanded storage and planned pipeline infrastructure.

The proposed tank farm is designed to store approximately 600 million litres of fuel, equivalent to about four million barrels.

Of that capacity, 360 million litres will be allocated to diesel and 240 million litres to petrol, alongside truck-loading and distribution facilities. Dangote said the project is expected to be completed within 18 to 20 months.

The wider project includes a planned pipeline network of about 1,700 kilometres, extending inland from Walvis Bay towards Otjiwarongo, Rundu and Botswana.

The distribution corridor is expected to serve markets including Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, although the final route and length remain subject to engineering studies, surveys and regulatory approvals.

Dangote said the infrastructure would help reduce transport costs and logistical vulnerabilities while improving access to refined petroleum products for landlocked markets.

The project is also intended to support Namibia’s role as a maritime gateway for regional fuel distribution.

At full capacity, the tank farm would be about eight times larger than Namibia’s existing 75-million-litre National Oil Storage Facility, operated by state-owned Namcor, according to Reuters.

The scale of the proposed development could significantly expand the country’s ability to store fuel and manage supply disruptions.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah described the investment as a landmark for Namibia’s industrial and economic development.

The project has been placed under the Office of the President to support its implementation, and the president said it would remain a presidential project until completion.

The launch marks a further step in Dangote’s expansion beyond Nigeria, where his group operates a major refinery, into a continent-wide network for producing, storing and distributing petroleum products.

Reuters reported that the Namibia project forms part of a broader strategy to diversify markets for Dangote’s refined fuel exports, particularly as long-term demand patterns shift in established markets.