Recent protests in Nigeria highlight the economic and social importance of affordable fuels
Letter on Africa: New African refineries could help break old dependencies
A profound shift is occurring in the global refining sector, one which might help redefine Africa’s place in worldwide trade networks
This year has seen the ramp-up of the massive Dangote refinery in Nigeria, although not without teething problems with feedstock supply. In Ghana, China’s Sentuo Group recently secured an operational licence for its 40,000b/d Tema refinery development and is advancing plans for a second phase to raise capacity to 100,000b/d. Angola’s 60,000b/d Cabinda refinery is on pace to start production later this year, ahead of a number of other refining projects in the country. Elsewhere in the continent, Uganda is pushing hard for its own refinery to complement the Kingfisher and Tilenga oilfield developments and the associated East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Even unstable South Sudan has made noises
Also in this section
18 March 2026
Rising LNG exports and AI-driven power demand have raised concerns that US gas prices could climb sharply, but analysts say abundant shale supply and continued productivity gains should keep Henry Hub within a range that preserves the competitiveness of US LNG
18 March 2026
Risks of shortages in oil products may cause world leaders to panic and make mistakes instead of letting the market do what it does best
17 March 2026
Africa must dramatically scale energy investment to meet rising demand while cutting emissions. ARDA’s Anibor Kragha argues that a “just, Africa-centric transition”—focused on refining capacity, cleaner fuels, infrastructure and innovative finance—will be essential
17 March 2026
The crisis in the Middle East has put LNG’s ability to offer security and flexibility under uncomfortable scrutiny
