Partnership with state-owned SONARA and MRS Oil & Gas aims to strengthen Cameroon’s fuel supply amid global energy market disruptions…….
Nigeria’s Dangote Group has secured a petroleum supply agreement with Cameroon’s state-owned oil refining company, Société Nationale de Raffinage (SONARA), in a move that could strengthen its position in Africa’s downstream petroleum market.
The agreement, which also involves Lagos-based MRS Oil & Gas Company Limited, is expected to provide Cameroon with a more reliable supply of refined petroleum products as the country grapples with rising fuel costs and uncertainties in the international energy market.
SONARA announced the development in a statement released on Friday, October 30, disclosing that the agreement was signed in Lagos on October 22, 2026.
The partnership comes amid growing concerns over global petroleum supply disruptions and rising energy prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
For Cameroon, the arrangement offers an opportunity to diversify its sources of refined petroleum products and strengthen domestic fuel availability through supplies from Nigeria.
Why Cameroon is turning to Dangote
Cameroon has relied entirely on imported refined petroleum products since 2019, following an explosion that severely damaged its only oil refinery.
The incident forced SONARA to suspend refining operations, leaving the country dependent on international suppliers to meet its domestic fuel requirements.
That dependence has exposed Cameroon’s petroleum market to fluctuations in global oil prices, supply disruptions and other external market pressures.
The new agreement with Dangote Group and MRS Oil & Gas is expected to provide an additional supply channel and improve the country’s ability to secure petroleum products.
However, SONARA did not disclose the volume of products to be supplied, the financial value of the agreement or how long the arrangement would remain in force.
The company also revealed that a ceremony planned to formally unveil the partnership had been postponed because of last-minute scheduling constraints involving Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote.
A new date for the event will be announced later.
Dangote strengthens foothold in African petroleum market
The agreement represents another step in Dangote Group’s efforts to expand its downstream petroleum operations beyond Nigeria and establish the refinery as a major supplier to African markets.
Located in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has an original installed processing capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily, making it one of the world’s largest single-train refineries.
The facility was established to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products while creating opportunities to supply refined fuels to other African countries and international markets.
Cameroon’s reliance on imported fuel presents a potential market for the Nigerian refinery, particularly as countries across the continent seek more reliable supply arrangements amid uncertainties in global energy markets.
MRS Oil & Gas is also part of the arrangement, bringing an established petroleum marketing and distribution company into the supply partnership.
Although the agreement establishes a framework for cooperation, the companies have yet to announce when actual deliveries will begin.
Previous exports signal growing African ambitions
The latest agreement builds on Dangote Refinery’s growing export activities across the continent.
In March 2026, the refinery reportedly exported 456,000 tonnes of refined petroleum products to African destinations through 12 cargoes lifted by international traders.
The shipments were destined for Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Ghana and Togo.
The refinery had also supplied petrol to Cameroon, Angola, Ghana and South Africa in December 2024, while exporting diesel and aviation fuel to European markets.
More recently, Botswana indicated interest in securing a fuel supply arrangement with Dangote Refinery as part of efforts to diversify its petroleum import sources and reduce exposure to international supply shocks.
The refinery has also expanded its processing capabilities, with its crude processing capacity reportedly increased to 700,000 barrels per day in June 2026, above its original design capacity of 650,000 barrels daily.
With the latest Cameroon agreement, Dangote Group is seeking to deepen its role in the regional petroleum trade, as African economies explore opportunities to source more refined products from within the continent rather than depend entirely on distant international suppliers.
