Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Group, says some oil traders are working hard to block the growth of refineries across West Africa.

Speaking at a conference in Abuja, Dangote explained that there is a large offshore oil market near Lome, Togo, where traders store and sell fuel from ships. These traders used to sell fuel at high prices because there were very few refineries in Africa.

But since the Dangote Refinery started operations, he said the traders suddenly dropped their prices to fight competition. According to him, their goal is to make sure no new refinery survives.

“These people will do anything to stop refineries from being built in Africa,” Dangote said. “As long as that offshore market in Lome exists, I don’t think new refineries will succeed.”

He said African governments need to support local refineries with the right policies and cooperation, or else the region will remain dependent on imported fuel.

Dangote also pointed out that many African countries have different fuel standards, which makes it hard to sell fuel across borders. For example, diesel made for Nigeria can’t be sold in Ghana or Cameroon, even though the cars are the same.

He said this benefits international traders, not Africans, and called for a common fuel standard across the continent.

“When you build a refinery, you are not just solving a problem—you are affecting people who make a lot of money from the old system. And they will fight back,” he warned.