SATISH SHARMA - not just Rotigraphy.: THE WEST FEARS AFRICA’S FUEL LIBERATION For over a century, Africa has been trapped in a colonial "extraction loop":

https://x.com/sov_media/status/2051016155801026689

Sovereign Media

THE WEST FEARS AFRICA’S FUEL LIBERATION

For over a century, Africa has been trapped in a colonial "extraction loop": exporting raw crude for pennies and buying back refined fuel from the West at a massive premium. 

But the era of dependence could be coming to an end.

Following Nigeria’s shift into a net exporter of refined fuel, driven by the success of the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has unveiled plans to replicate his success in Nigeria by building a 650,000-barrel-per-day mega-refinery in East Africa — a move that could signal the export of a model aimed at breaking dependence on imported fuel.

The cost of Africa’s fuel dependency is staggering. For example, while Angola holds nearly 8 billion barrels of oil, it still spent $854 million on fuel imports at the end of 2025 alone. This “trap” drains foreign reserves while enriching overseas refineries.

However, in Nigeria, the Dangote Refinery is beginning to disrupt this cycle, processing around 565,000 barrels per day as of March 2026 and supplying the vast majority of the domestic market. As a result, the chronic fuel queues that once defined daily life in Africa’s second-largest economy have largely disappeared.

But Africans refining for Africans is a nightmare for European oil giants. Consequently, the World Bank - where the US is the largest shareholder - has launched a counter-offensive. In April 2026, the Bank advised Nigeria to resume fuel imports, claiming they are "cheaper." Critics suggest that this "advice" is an attempt to force Nigeria to reopen import licenses for Western giants whose market share has evaporated.

The West only advocates for "competition" when it means African industries competing against subsidised European giants. By refining at home, Africa saves billions in foreign exchange and creates thousands of local jobs. 

True sovereignty is not found in World Bank loans with colonial conditions. It is found in the power to fuel your own future.