Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) begins fuel supply to Cameroon, Nigeria’s eastern neighbour, whose 45-year refinery, Société Nationale de Raffinage (SONARA) has been off-stream since May 2029, after a devastating fire outbreak.
The move, which would augment the central African country’s petroleum products shortage following global disruption from the US-Israel-Iran war, stems from an agreement signed between SONARA, Dangote Group, and Lagos-based MRS Oil & Gas Company for products supply to the CEMAC nation.
State-owned SONARA’s board of directors had initially visited Dangote’s refinery at Lagos in January this year, seeking the billionaire industrialist to provide technical and financial assistance to revive the 45-yr refinery.
SONARA said it had signed agreement with DPRP and MRS Oil to supply refined petroleum products to Cameroon.
The deal, signed on October 22 in Lagos, is aimed at providing Cameroon, a country of over 27 million people, with a stable and sustainable fuel supply to cushion the rising costs of petroleum products amid conflict in the Middle East.
The 45-year-old SONARA located in Limbe, has been completely inactive since a major fire damaged it in May 2019, forcing Cameroon to rely entirely on imported refined fuels.
The refinery is burdened by revival and debt restructurings. Cameroon has engaged the Dangote Group for financial and technical assistance under a CFA 291.9 billion (approximately $458.56 million) “Parras 24” recovery strategy.
However, the potential partnership depends heavily on restructuring SONARA’s existing debt, which is estimated around CFA 479 billion (818.13 million).
The Dangote Group maintains local presence in Cameroon. Recently, the Group established a new oil and gas subsidiary inside Cameroon to broaden its operational footprint beyond fuel storage and distribution.
Since 2019, Cameroon, relies completely on imported refined petroleum products. In the first quarter of 2026 spent CFA 274.3 billion (468.50 million) on hydrocarbon imports. Full year 2025 hydrocarbon imports totalled CFA 891.1 billion ($1.53 billion) for the year, down from a record CFA1.15 trillion in 2022.
In the first half of 2025 (H1), the country spent CFA 333.7 billion ($568.9 billion) on fuels and lubricants between January and June 2025 (a 26.3% decrease compared to CFA 453 billion ($773) million in the first half of 2024).
To keep pump prices stable, the government allocated CFA 310 billion ($529.47 million) for energy subsidies in 2026, including CFA57 billion ($97.35 million) spent in September 2026 alone.
According to SONARA, a ceremony planned to formally launch the partnership deal was postponed due last-minute scheduling constraints involving Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group. A new date will be agreed and announced later, the refining company said.
