Africa's Energy Sovereignty Hinges on Regional Refining Capacity

Africa's dependence on imported petroleum products has been laid bare by the Iran crisis, prompting calls for accelerated investments in regional refining hubs to shield the continent from recurring global supply disruptions.

Speaking at the 2026 Angola Oil and Gas Conference in Luanda, Angola, Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA), said recent geopolitical shocks have demonstrated that energy security has evolved into energy sovereignty.

The crisis triggered by the Iran crisis mirrors the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19, reinforcing that such disruptions have become the 'new normal' for energy markets.

Kragha noted that the U.S.-Iran conflict curtailed global oil demand by about four million barrels per day, while African countries, particularly in East Africa, suffered fuel shortages, panic buying and long queues at filling stations as imported supplies became constrained.