The Dangote oil refinery increased exports of gasoline, its owner said, as African countries grapple with supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, also told reporters that Nigeria’s state-owned oil company last month doubled the supply of crude to the continent’s largest refinery, located on the outskirts of Lagos. Efforts to shore up fuel availability come as other African countries — including Angola and South Africa — build up their refining capacity to safeguard against future supply shocks.
Exports of urea fertilizer from the Dangote processing plant have also recently risen, as buyers seek alternative supply sources, the conglomerate’s boss said. Urea demand has surged since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed buyers to scramble for limited volumes. Prior to the Iran war, around a fifth of global fertilizer exports passed through the shipping route.
The Middle East conflict threatens food security in countries that source a large share of their urea from the Gulf, such as Kenya and Tanzania, and others that were previously hit by the fertilizer supply disruptions due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
