Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has announced plans to construct a 2 000km fuel pipeline from Walvis Bay, through Botswana, to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
Dangote disclosed the plan to Zimbabwean media after signing a US$1-billion (about N$17.1 billion) investment agreement with the Zimbabwean government in Harare on Wednesday.
The deal was concluded during a meeting between Dangote and president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“I have actually signed an agreement [with] Zimbabwe and Dangote Group to do various investments in various sectors, some in cement, power generation, and some of it a pipeline to bring petroleum product,” Dangote told Zimbabwean media.
“We are in the business of producing oil. We have the largest refinery in the world in Nigeria, and we want to bring it to Walvis Bay and then pipe it down here.”
Dangote said the agreement includes several projects, among them the construction of a fertiliser plant.
The announcement follows plans by the Dangote petroleum refinery to build storage tanks in Namibia capable of holding at least 1.6 million barrels of petrol and diesel, intended to supply refined fuel to southern Africa.
In June, Dangote visited Namibia, where he paid courtesy calls to president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Bank of Namibia governor Johannes !Gawaxab, before touring the port of Walvis Bay.
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