Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has pledged to support the construction of a new oil refinery in Tanzania, as African leaders move to reduce reliance on fuel imports from the Middle East amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

The proposed refinery will be located in the port city of Tanga and connected to Mombasa by a pipeline, according to William Ruto.

The facility is expected to process crude from regional producers, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, positioning it as a shared infrastructure project for East Africa, Bloomberg reported.

Dangote said his group would take the lead in delivering the refinery, committing to complete it within four to five years. He also indicated the project could replicate the scale and model of his flagship refinery in Lagos, which recently reached full capacity and has helped Nigeria achieve fuel self-sufficiency.

Africa produces about 7% of the world's crude oil but has seen refining capacity decline significantly over the past two decades, increasing dependence on imported fuel. The situation has become more urgent following disruptions linked to tensions in the Persian Gulf, which have strained supply chains and exposed vulnerabilities across import-dependent economies.

East African countries are particularly exposed, with some relying on the Middle East for the majority of their fuel imports. Kenya, for instance, recently renewed supply agreements with Gulf-based companies, including Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and Emirates National Oil Company.

Dangote Refinery Boosts Regional Fuel Supply

However, the Dangote Refinery has begun to ease some of that dependence. In March alone, it shipped 12 cargoes of refined petroleum products to Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana, and Togo, totalling about 456,000 tons. The surge in exports signals Nigeria's re-emergence in regional fuel markets, not as a major importer, but increasingly as a supplier.

The new refinery plan aligns with Dangote's broader $40 billion expansion strategy and complements regional infrastructure such as the pipeline connecting Uganda's oil fields to Tanzania's coast. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said his country would also supply crude to the project while continuing plans for its own domestic refinery.