The Dangote Group has unveiled plans to establish a petroleum products storage terminal in Cameroon, aimed at strengthening the regional distribution network of its 650,000-barrel-per-day Lekki refinery and expanding its presence in Central Africa.
The proposal was presented on Tuesday to Cameroon’s Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, by Devakumar Edwin, the Group’s Vice President for Oil, Gas and Fertiliser.
According to Business in Cameroon, the facility would support Cameroon’s strategic petroleum reserves, enhance fuel supply security, and potentially include a pipeline system to reduce logistics costs and the environmental impact of road transportation.
At present, the project remains at the discussion stage. Details such as the terminal’s location, capacity, investment value, and implementation timeline have not been disclosed. It is also unclear whether the facility would be wholly owned by Dangote, developed in partnership with the Cameroonian government, or executed under a public-private partnership model.
If realised, the terminal would serve as a major export outlet for refined products from the Lekki refinery, designed to meet Nigeria’s domestic demand while supplying regional markets. The facility could also position Dangote to serve landlocked Central African countries such as Chad and the Central African Republic, which rely heavily on Cameroonian ports for fuel imports.
For Cameroon, the investment could bolster fuel supply security and diversify sources of petroleum products, provided it aligns with national pricing frameworks, taxation policies, and strategic reserve requirements.
The proposal comes as Cameroon intensifies efforts to expand its petroleum storage capacity. The National Petroleum Storage Company is currently building a terminal in Kribi with a planned capacity of 230,000 cubic metres for refined products and 40,000 metric tonnes for liquefied petroleum gas.
A second project, managed by CSTAR Tank Farm Project Management—a consortium of Ariana Energy, Tradex, and the National Hydrocarbons Corporation—will add between 250,000 and 300,000 cubic metres of storage at an estimated cost of CFA168 billion.
Together, these projects are expected to add at least 480,000 cubic metres of liquid fuel storage capacity to Cameroon’s downstream sector. Dangote’s proposed terminal could either complement these government-led initiatives or compete with them for access to port infrastructure, financing, and product volumes.
