Cameroon has joined a growing list of African countries looking to Nigeria’s Dangote Group for refining support, as its state-owned refinery, Sonara, seeks funding and supply solutions to revive operations halted since a devastating fire in 2019.
Sonara disclosed that it has opened discussions with the Dangote Refinery as part of efforts to stabilise its business and resume refining activities.
A delegation led by Sonara’s chief executive, El Hadj Bako Harouna, travelled to Lagos in January to explore potential areas of financial and technical cooperation with the Dangote management team.
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The talks are focused on securing both short-term fuel supply arrangements and longer-term financing options that could support Sonara’s rehabilitation plan.
The Cameroonian refiner is also considering the possibility of a loan from the Dangote Group as it works to ease mounting financial pressures and restore operations.
These engagements form part of Sonara’s “Parras 24” recovery programme, a two-year strategy valued at CFA291.9 billion ($524 million) aimed at bringing the refinery back on stream. Bob j think
The first phase of the plan, scheduled for 2026–2027, targets repairs to infrastructure damaged during the 2019 fire that forced the refinery’s shutdown.
Any deeper investment from the Dangote Group, Sonara noted, would depend on progress in restructuring its debt, which currently stands at about CFA479 billion and is largely owed to banks and fuel marketers.
The outreach highlights Dangote’s growing influence in Africa’s energy landscape.
Since launching its 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lagos, the Dangote Group has emerged as a key supplier of refined petroleum products across the region, helping to reduce fuel import dependence and strengthen energy security.
Similar discussions have unfolded elsewhere in West Africa. Ghana has indicated plans to import fuel from Dangote to complement its limited domestic refining capacity, while Senegal has held talks with the group on potential investments spanning energy, manufacturing, and fertiliser production.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Dangote Cement is also advancing plans for a major grinding plant near Abidjan, underscoring the group’s expanding regional footprint.
As Cameroon explores partnerships to revive Sonara, the Dangote Group’s role as a regional energy anchor continues to grow, positioning it as a critical player in West Africa’s push toward refining self-sufficiency and industrial development.
