Democratic Republic of Congo negotiates with Dangote refinery to boost its energy security

The Democratic Republic of Congo is considering diversifying its sources of petroleum product imports by turning to the Dangote refinery in NigeriaThis move comes amid sharp fluctuations in the global refined fuel markets, resulting from geopolitical tensions and supply chain pressures.

Government move to secure fuel supplies

The Ministry of National Economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Mokoko Samba paid an official visit to Nigeria, with the aim of securing stable fuel supplies for the country, as part of a government strategy aimed at strengthening energy security and avoiding supply crises.

During the visit, the Congolese official met with Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote to discuss the possibility of direct supply of petroleum products to the Congolese market from Dangote's refinery.

The talks also included officials from the UBA Bank Group, where he discussed with Chairman Tony Elumelu and CEO Oliver Alaopa mechanisms for financing fuel import operations.

Diversifying energy sources and reducing risks

This move aims to reduce the Democratic Republic of Congo's dependence on a single source of supplies and diversify import channels, thereby enhancing the country's ability to cope with price fluctuations and crises in international markets, especially in light of the increasing pressures on the oil market since the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

The Dangote refinery in Nigeria's Lekki region is the largest oil refining facility in Africa, with a production capacity of approximately 650,000 barrels per day. Despite this large capacity, a significant portion of the production is allocated to the domestic market, thus limiting the amount available for export.