By African Youth Newsroom
Walvis Bay – Nov 5 — African industrialist and President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has announced a US$2.5 billion investment in Namibia’s energy infrastructure, marking a significant step towards strengthening petroleum supply, regional trade and energy security across Southern Africa.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, during the official launch of the Dangote Namibia Tank Farm and Regional Pipeline Investment at Farm 58, near Walvis Bay, in the presence of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, government officials and regional stakeholders.
The project will include a petroleum storage facility with an estimated capacity of 600 million litres, comprising 360 million litres of diesel and 240 million litres of petrol.
In addition, the investment envisages an approximately 1,700-kilometre regional pipeline network connecting Walvis Bay to key markets in Southern Africa.
The proposed pipeline will extend towards Otjiwarongo, with branches towards Rundu, Ghanzi and Francistown in Botswana. The wider network is intended to serve Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dangote said the investment would position Walvis Bay as a strategic Atlantic energy gateway, providing more efficient petroleum distribution routes to landlocked countries and strengthening regional economic integration.
“Africa must industrialise Africa,” Dangote declared, emphasising the importance of African capital, entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships in driving the continent’s economic transformation.
He said the project would create opportunities for Namibian contractors, transport operators, professionals, young people and small and medium-sized enterprises, while promoting local procurement and skills development.
Dangote further expressed confidence that the investment would contribute to improving petroleum affordability and supply reliability in Namibia and neighbouring countries.
He highlighted similar investments by the Dangote Group across Africa, including industrial and energy infrastructure developments in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya, describing them as part of a broader continental strategy to strengthen production, storage and distribution networks.
Addressing President Nandi-Ndaitwah, Dangote expressed appreciation for the Namibian Government’s support, saying the President’s commitment had helped bring the investment to fruition.
He also indicated that the group’s ambitions in Namibia extend beyond the current project, inviting the Government to explore additional investment opportunities.
“Our ambitions are expanding across the continent. We previously spoke about a US$50 billion investment ambition towards 2030. That ambition has now grown to US$60 billion,” he said.
Dangote emphasised that the group views investments in other African countries as partnerships rather than opportunities to extract profits, stating that the company intends to reinvest and expand its operations.
The project is expected to strengthen Namibia’s position as a regional logistics and energy hub, while supporting industrial development, employment creation and cross-border trade.
For young people, the proposed investment presents potential opportunities in technical skills development, engineering, logistics, construction, transport and related industries.
The initiative also highlights the importance of regional cooperation in advancing Africa’s energy independence and economic self-reliance.
Dangote concluded by reaffirming the group’s commitment to delivering the project and working with Namibia and its regional partners towards shared prosperity.
“Give us more opportunities. We want to invest more. We want to do more with your government,” he said.
