The escalating conflict in the Middle East has prompted renewed calls for West Africa to accelerate its drive toward energy self-sufficiency, with IMANI Africa Vice President Kofi Bentil arguing that the region already has the infrastructure foundations needed to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum products.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints programme on Saturday, March 7, 2026, Bentil pointed to the operations of two refineries in Ghana as evidence that the region does not need to remain a net importer of refined petroleum. He cited both the state-owned Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the privately operated Sentuo Oil Refinery in Tema as assets capable of anchoring a more self-reliant regional energy supply chain, provided they are fully utilised.
The call comes as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has disrupted air freight lanes into Dubai, reducing flights to a fraction of normal capacity and raising alarm about supply chains for fuel and other critical commodities across West Africa.
Ghana’s product import dependency has historically been high, with former President Akufo-Addo acknowledging at the commissioning of the Sentuo refinery in January 2024 that the country relied on imports for 97% of its petroleum products at the time.
The Sentuo refinery, a joint venture involving the Chinese Sentuo Group, started operations in January 2024 with an initial throughput of around 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) and a design capacity that will reach approximately 120,000 bpd at full build-out. That figure comfortably exceeds Ghana’s domestic demand of around 80,000 bpd, creating room for exports to neighbouring countries.
Sentuo Group has also committed a further $980 million to a second phase of expansion, targeting an additional three million metric tonnes per year of refining capacity, reinforcing the refinery’s potential as a regional supply anchor.
Bentil’s remarks align with a broader conversation gaining urgency across the continent. Regulators and industry groups across West Africa have outlined plans to harmonise refinery standards and cross-border frameworks that would enable hub-based refining, integrating production with midstream logistics, storage terminals, and port infrastructure to maximise efficiency and lower unit costs.
The Middle East crisis, analysts say, may be the jolt needed to convert those conversations into concrete investment decisions before the next supply shock arrives.
