LAGOS, March 23, 2026 BSS/(AFP) - Nigeria's Dangote mega-refinery says it has begun exporting fuel to other African countries, after global oil prices soared due to the Middle East war.

The three-week-long war in the Middle East has disrupted oil deliveries through the key Strait of Hormuz, forcing countries to take measures to limit the impact of price rises.

Dangote Refinery, which is owned by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote, announced late Sunday it had sold 12 cargoes totalling 456,000 tonnes to countries such as Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana and Togo.

The refinery, east of the economic capital, Lagos, has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, enabling it "to not only meet but exceed Nigeria's domestic fuel demands", it said in a statement.

"By supplying neighbouring and other economies, the Dangote Refinery is expected to contribute to enhance energy security in west, east and central Africa," it added.

A refinery spokesman told AFP the principal reason for the decision was the Middle East war and said it had received more demands from other countries.

"We have demands even out of Africa, especially for jet fuel," he said, without giving details.

In Nigeria, Africa's leading oil producer, the price of petrol rose recently from 830 naira a litre in Lagos to more than 1,300 naira ($0.60 to $0.94, 0.53 to 0.83 euros).

At the start of the war Dangote had pledged to prioritise the domestic market to help prevent fuel shortages and limit the impact on prices.

Before the Dangote refinery opened in 2024, Nigeria had to import almost all its fuel and shortages were recurrent.