Africa is becoming a major destination for Russian fuels facing international sanctions. The continent is importing more of these inexpensive products, but their quality and environmental impact are unclear because of insufficient standards and oversight.

Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote on Tuesday condemned the large influx of deeply discounted Russian fuels into Africa. Speaking at the "West African Refined Fuel Conference" in Abuja, Dangote stated that these products are often toxic and fail to meet European or North American standards. He warned that they threaten both the development of a competitive African refining industry and public health.

The World Health Organization reports that 3.7 million people die annually from air pollution, largely due to particles in exhaust gases.

Dangote highlighted the port of Lomé, Togo, as a key hub where more than 2 million barrels of these petroleum products are reportedly stored before being redistributed across the region.

In a lax regulatory environment with virtually nonexistent emission and quality standards, many traders are offloading fuels in Africa that would be unsellable elsewhere, facing no risk of sanctions. This occurs despite the continent producing approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil daily, yet refining less than 40% of it locally.

As of June 2025, Russian exports of diesel and gasoil to Africa decreased by 30% from the previous month, totaling about 700,000 tons. Morocco, Togo, Tunisia, and Egypt are among the primary buyers. Reuters reported that several vessels departing Russia listed their destination as "for orders," suggesting opportunistic distribution often outside official maritime regulations.

The "Dirty Diesel" Scandal Precedent

Dangote believes this poorly regulated environment significantly hinders the growth of Africa’s refining industry. His own refinery, the largest on the continent, has begun exporting but faces strong competition from cheap, imported products that lack uniform standards and are flooding the market.

While the industrial magnate is also defending his business interests, his criticism underscores a broader issue: Africa is increasingly becoming a dumping ground for fuels rejected by other regions. This situation is enabled by the absence of harmonized standards, weak regulatory mechanisms, and government inaction in the absence of protective measures such as tariffs, quality controls, or emission caps.

His comments echo the "Dirty Diesel" scandal, documented in 2016 by the Swiss NGO Public Eye. That investigation revealed that traders, including Vitol, Trafigura, and Addax & Oryx, were selling highly polluting fuels in West Africa. These fuels contained up to 378 times more sulfur than permitted by European standards.

The study, conducted in nine countries including Benin, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Zambia, exposed a parallel supply chain of "African quality" fuels that exploited local regulatory weaknesses.

Despite commitments made at the time, some of these companies merely adjusted their public messaging. Others claim compliance with local standards while expressing willingness to adapt.

Olivier de Souza