Nigeria Gets New Ranking as Data Shows Top 10 African Countries With the Lowest Fuel Prices
- The list of the top 10 African countries with the lowest fuel prices is compiled, based on GlobalPetrolPrices data.
- Fuel prices are influenced by factors like government subsidies, domestic oil production, state control, and carbon taxes
- Nigeria's Dangote Refinery plays a major role in the country's fuel pricing by reducing reliance on imports
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The drop in crude oil prices in the global market is reflected in domestic markets across the world. Many countries have seen a decline in the prices of gasoline, while prices remain stagnant in other countries.
Several factors determine fuel prices. Besides the volatility of the international market, government subsidies, domestic oil production, strong state control of petroleum pricing, and carbon taxes are some determinants of retail prices of gasoline and other petroleum products.
Source: Getty Images
In Nigeria, the impact of the Dangote refinery cannot be overestimated. Its presence in the country as the largest refinery in Africa and one of the largest in the world, the 650,000-barrels-of-oil-per-day refinery, has deepened Nigeria’s aspiration for energy security, reducing the country’s heavy reliance on importation, a situation analysts have condemned as abnormal for an oil-producing country.
The mega refinery is also embroiled in a price war with major marketers who prefer to import rather than buy from Dangote. This war for control of the downstream petroleum market has resulted in frequent price cuts to the delight of consumers.
As 2025 winds down, Legit.ng compiles a list of African countries where gasoline is cheapest based on pump prices. The compilation, in descending order, is based on data mined from the GlobalPetrolPrices.
Countries with lowest pump prices
10. Liberia
The 10th African country where citizens buy fuel at a cheap rate is Liberia, where gasoline sells at $0.918 per litre. The country's energy sector received a boost in September as Nigerian billionaire Arthur Eze secured four offshore exploration blocks in the West African country, through his company, Atlas Oranto Petroleum Limited.
9. Niger
At the 9th position is Niger, where gasoline sells at $0.895 per litre. Even though the country relies mostly on the importation of petroleum products, through formal and informal trade, its citizens enjoy relatively low fuel costs. Media reports show that the country recently suffered a fuel shortage until it was bailed out by Nigeria.
8. Tunisia
is also in the top 10 list, with fuel prices selling at just $0.870 per litre. The North African country is a small oil producer in the African region with less than 30,000 BOPD. Although it imports both crude oil and refined products, it boasts of local refining capacity. The presence of a local refinery and its proximity to the Middle East may be responsible for the low cost of fuel in the country.
7. Ethiopia
Ahead of Tunisia is Ethiopia, where the pump price of gasoline is $0.789 per litre. Despite being a net fuel importer, state controls and pricing policies contribute to relatively affordable petrol for consumers.
6. Sudan
: Government intervention in the downstream oil sector has helped keep Sudan’s fuel prices relatively low. Fuel currently sells in the war-torn African country at $0.700 per litre.
5. Nigeria
comes fifth, with fuel selling around $0.542 per litre. Despite underperforming government-owned refineries, the country remains the largest producer of both crude oil and refined petroleum products in Africa, as a result of the coming onstream of the Dangote Refinery. The refinery has increased local crude oil production and distribution across Africa. Legit.ng reported that Dangote Refinery sells petrol to Cameroon, Ghana, Angola and South Africa.
4. Egypt
: The fourth African country with the cheapest gasoline price is Egypt at $0.443 per litre. The North African country is a major oil producer on the continent, and also has domestic refining capacity.
3. Algeria
With gasoline selling at $0.355 per litre, Algeria comes third. Local media reported that Algerian state oil and gas firm Sonatrach recently signed a $5.4-billion exploration and production agreement with Saudi Arabian firm Midad Energy. This development, coupled with government regulations and subsidy policies, has affected fuel prices over time.
2. Angola
With gasoline selling at $0.327 per litre, Angola comes second as the African country with the cheapest fuel price. The country is the third largest crude oil producer in Africa, after Nigeria and Libya. Earlier this year, Angola officially inaugurated the Cabinda oil refinery, the first in the country after its independence in 1975, which has boosted local refining capacity.
1. Libya
Libya tops the list of countries with the lowest gasoline price in Africa and the world, as gasoline sells at $0.028 per litre. The North African country is the second largest producer of crude oil on the continent, producing just about 200,000 barrels less than Nigeria. Its energy costs are influenced by government subsidies and control.
Source: Getty Images
Dangote crashes petrol price to N739 per litre
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery set a new petrol price of N739 per litre at its partner filling stations. The reduction is expected to ease transportation cost as people travel for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The new pump price follows the refinery’s decision to reduce the gantry price to N699 per litre, amid the refinery’s ongoing conflict with major oil marketers and the downstream regulator.
The chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has consistently called for a ban on the importation of petroleum products, arguing that his mega refinery can meet local demand. However, the downstream regulator and other stakeholders have argued that the country cannot rely on a single facility for its energy products.
Source: Legit.ng
