At working visit to Nigeria: SONARA approaches Dangote Group for refining assistance.

Authorities from the state-owned refinery, recently held discussions with Nigeria's Dangote Refinery to secure funding and resources for resuming operations halted since a 2019 fire incident.

The visit by the SONARA delegation to Lagos, Nigeria, ran from January 20-23, 2026. It was led by SONARA General Manager, El Hadj Bako Harouna.

It was gathered that discussions during the visit were aim at establishing financial and technical collaboration to restore SONARA's operations as part of its two-year recovery strategy, valued at 291.9 billion FCFA.

Authorities said the discussions underline the growing role of the Dangote Group in ensuring energy stability and industrial development across West Africa.

The Dangote Group, which in itself runs a 650,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, has, in the space of two years, become an industry leader in Africa’s overall fuel market. 

SONARA revealed that discussions with the Dangote Refinery focused on potential financial and technical support as the Cameroonian refiner attempts to stabilise its business and resume refining.

SONARA also revealed that the engagement was designed to lay the groundwork for a long-term technical and economic cooperation that may improve Cameroon's fuel security, meet domestic demand, and advance the country's broader energy independence goals. 

Fuel supply and finance alternatives are critical components of SONARA's rehabilitation strategy. In the near future, the refinery hopes to negotiate fuel supply agreements with the Dangote refinery while also examining the potential of securing a loan from the Aliko Dangote-controlled business. 

The negotiations are part of SONARA's "PARRAS 24" recovery strategy, which seeks to restore refining activities in 24 months for 291.9 billion FCFA. The first phase of the plan, set for 2026-2027, focuses on repairing infrastructure destroyed by the 2019 fire that prompted the refinery to shut down. 

SONARA has stated, however, that any further investment by the Dangote Group would be contingent on progress in restructuring its debt, which is now valued at 479 billion FCFA and due primarily to banks and gasoline dealers. 

The conversation is hardly the first of its kind in the broader West African region. 

This week alone, Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority, said Ghana’s domestic refining capacity remains limited, and as such, the country aims to import fuel from Dangote. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3699 of Monday February 09, 2026