In a significant development, Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has begun exporting fuel across Africa as international crude oil prices rise sharply because of the ongoing Middle East war.

The ongoing three-week conflict in the Middle East has disrupted key oil deliveries via the Strait of Hormuz, forcing nations to scramble for ways to mitigate rising fuel prices.

Dangote Refinery, owned by Africa’s wealthiest individual Aliko Dangote, said on Sunday it had exported 12 cargoes totalling 456,000 tonnes of refined fuel to countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana, and Togo.

The Dangote Refinery, situated east of Lagos, has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day enough to meet and exceed Nigeria’s domestic fuel needs, according to a statement from the company.

“By supplying neighbouring and other economies, the Dangote Refinery is expected to enhance energy security in West, East, and Central Africa,” it said.

A spokesman told AFP that the Middle East war was the primary trigger for the exports, adding that the refinery had received increased demand from other African countries.

“We have received demands even from outside Africa, especially for jet fuel,” the spokesman said, without providing further details.

In Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, the price of petrol has risen sharply in recent weeks from 830 naira per litre in Lagos to over 1,300 naira ($0.60 to $0.94, or €0.53 to €0.83).

At the onset of the Middle East conflict, Dangote Refinery had pledged to prioritise the domestic market to prevent fuel shortages and cushion the impact on local prices.

Before the refinery came on stream in 2024, Nigeria despite being Africa’s top oil producer was forced to import nearly all of its refined petroleum products, resulting in frequent shortages.