Namibia could become the Atlantic gateway for one of Africa’s most ambitious fuel distribution networks under Aliko Dangote’s plan to invest more than $3.5bn in pipelines linking the coast with major inland markets across Southern Africa.
The proposal is significant not simply because of its size. If it moves from planning to construction, it could change how fuel reaches several landlocked economies, strengthen Walvis Bay’s role as a regional logistics hub and extend Dangote’s reach far beyond refining oil in Nigeria.
Two routes into Southern Africa
Dangote first publicly outlined the route on September 14 while opening the public offer for Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos.
In remarks recorded by Reuters, he said the planned network would stretch roughly 2,620 to 2,650 kilometres, beginning in Namibia and running through Botswana towards South Africa.
He also described another line extending towards Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The project is therefore better understood as a network of routes rather than one continuous pipeline running through all six countries.
Days later, during a Bloomberg TV interview in New York, Dangote put the budget at more than $3.5bn. He also said his wider African pipeline plans could eventually approach 4,000 kilometres.
Walvis Bay takes centre stage
The choice of Namibia is no accident.
Walvis Bay already gives landlocked Southern African countries access to the Atlantic Namport says its trade corridors connect Namibia with Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the DRC, among other regional markets.
Those are almost exactly the countries Dangote wants to reach.
His interest in Walvis Bay also predates the latest announcement. In July 2025, Reuters reported plans for fuel storage tanks at the port capable of holding at least 1.6m barrels of petrol and diesel.
The intended markets included Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with southern DRC also under consideration.
Taken together, the storage and pipeline plans point to a straightforward strategy: bring refined fuel by sea into Walvis Bay, store it there and move it inland at scale.
Namibia process moves forward
There are signs that the Walvis Bay side of the project is progressing.
An environmental application published by Namibia’s Ministry of Environment covers the subdivision of Farm 58 in Walvis Bay into several parcels, including land identified as ‘Dangote portions’.
As of October 5, the application was listed as ‘review in progress’.
That is evidence of movement around the proposed Namibian base, but it should not be confused with approval for the wider 2,650-kilometre pipeline network.
A cross-border project of that scale would still require environmental clearances, land access and regulatory agreements across several countries.
Why the network matters
For landlocked economies, fuel can become expensive long before it reaches the pump.
Road transport, border delays and long distances all add costs. Pipelines would not remove every bottleneck, but they could make large-volume fuel movements more predictable and reduce some dependence on long-haul tanker traffic.
