Botswana is in talks with Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery to secure supplies of refined petroleum products as disruptions linked to the Iran war prompt the Southern African country to diversify its fuel sources.
Botswana’s Minister of Minerals and Energy, Bogolo Kenewendo, disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg in Gaborone on October 28, saying the government had also engaged Angola and Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen fuel supplies and guard against shortages.
“Because we are clear that we never want to have any fuel insecurity, we’ve engaged Dangote, we’ve engaged Angola, we’ve engaged Côte d’Ivoire to ensure that they can supply us,” Kenewendo said.
Botswana imports all its refined petroleum products, making it vulnerable to international price fluctuations and disruptions along fuel transportation routes.
The government is therefore exploring alternative supply sources and transportation corridors, including routes through Mozambique and Namibia, to reduce its dependence on conventional supplies through South Africa.
The country has also secured a supply arrangement with Oman. According to Nairametrics, OQ Trading delivered its first diesel shipment to Botswana through Mozambique’s Port of Matola on October 9, 2026.
Another proposed development is a pipeline network Dangote plans to build from a fuel terminal at Namibia’s Walvis Bay port through Southern Africa.
The proposed infrastructure could provide an additional route for distributing refined petroleum products to landlocked countries, including Botswana.
However, the pipeline remains a separate infrastructure proposal, with its financing, construction schedule, capacity and delivery arrangements yet to be established.
For Dangote Refinery, the discussions could open up another export market in Southern Africa, extending its reach beyond West Africa.
The refinery, located in Lekki, Lagos, has been supplying international markets as African countries seek alternative sources of refined petroleum products.
In March 2026, Nairametrics reported that international traders lifted 12 cargoes, containing 456,000 tonnes of refined petroleum products, from the refinery for markets including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana and Togo.
READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery Approves 20 Marketers for PMS Purchases
A potential supply arrangement with Botswana would further expand the refinery’s reach, although its commercial prospects would depend on the volumes agreed, pricing, freight costs and the reliability of transportation routes.
For Botswana, sourcing fuel from Dangote could broaden its supplier base, but the competitiveness of the arrangement would depend on the total cost of delivery, including shipping, storage, pipeline transportation and distribution.
The discussions have not yet resulted in a confirmed supply agreement. No contract value, supply volume or commencement date has been announced.
The proposed pipeline also requires further clarification before its potential contribution to Botswana’s fuel security can be determined.
The negotiations, alongside Botswana’s engagement with Oman and other African suppliers, reflect the country’s efforts to strengthen its fuel supply network amid disruptions to international energy markets.
