Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian billionaire, has partnered with Ethiopia and Djibouti to build a $660 million petroleum pipeline and storage project. The initiative will connect Djibouti’s Damerjog port to a distribution center in Dewele, Ethiopia, through a 120km pipeline. The project will also include storage for about 400 million liters of petroleum products. It is expected to start operating within 18 months, significantly improving the efficiency of fuel transportation between the two countries. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted that the pipeline will cut the time needed to move fuel from Djibouti’s port to Addis Ababa from five days to just one. This will ease the flow of essential petroleum products like jet fuel, diesel, and petrol. Aliko Dangote emphasized that the project will enhance Ethiopia’s energy security and create a more reliable fuel supply chain. Ethiopia, being a landlocked country, currently depends heavily on Djibouti’s port for importing goods, including fuel. The new infrastructure is expected to ease the burden on existing transport systems that support key sectors such as aviation, agriculture, and construction. Djibouti is also set to benefit from the project through increased port activity, job creation, and higher government revenues. The pipeline is part of Dangote’s broader strategy to expand infrastructure and manufacturing across Africa. His Dangote Cement company, one of Africa’s largest cement producers, has an annual production capacity of about 55 million tonnes. Additionally, his oil refinery in Nigeria currently processes 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily and is aiming to double its capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day. In a recent development, the Nigerian refinery listed 4.1 billion ordinary shares on the Nigerian stock exchange to raise approximately $1.63 billion. Meanwhile, in Kenya, Dangote plans to begin construction next week on a proposed 700,000-barrel-a-day crude oil refinery in Lamu, further expanding his presence in the region's energy sector.