As 2026 begins, fuel remains one of the fastest ways to feel economic pressure, because once pump prices rise, transport costs jump, food and essentials get more expensive, and small businesses start cutting corners just to survive. 

Across Africa, high fuel prices still reflect a mix of import dependence, supply bottlenecks, and how tightly each market is regulated.

Below are the 10 African countries with the highest petrol (gasoline) prices based on GlobalPetrolPrices’ latest weekly dataset dated 12 January 2026 (prices shown in USD per litre).

The Top 10 Most Expensive Fuel Markets in Africa (Start of 2026)

For context, the global average gasoline price in the same dataset period was about $1.28 per litre, meaning several African markets are far above the global norm.

What’s really driving high fuel prices

Even when two countries buy crude at similar global prices, what happens next differs sharply. High pump prices in Africa typically come from a few repeat factors:

Import exposure and FX pressure. Countries that rely heavily on imported refined products feel global price swings faster, especially when currency weakens and landing costs rise.

Distribution and logistics. Landlocked states often carry higher haulage and storage costs. Any disruption, ports, trucking, supply contracts, pushes prices up quickly.

Market rules and taxes

In some places, government sets pricing bands; in others, market competition decides. Either way, taxes, levies, and regulatory charges can materially lift pump prices.

Why Nigeria’s fuel story still matters (even when it’s not in the top 10)

Nigeria may not appear in this top-10 list, but it remains one of the clearest examples of how fuel policy can reshape daily life.

Since the subsidy removal in 2023, pump prices have been exposed more directly to FX movements, import costs, and policy shifts, driving sharp swings that consumers and businesses feel immediately.

That volatility is not abstract. Reports cited refinery warnings that prices have swung from around ₦699 per litre during some festive periods to near ₦1,400 per litre at the extreme end, numbers that translate straight into higher transport fares, rising prices of goods, and heavier operating costs for SMEs.

Dangote Refinery: stability potential, but not a magic wand

Domestic refining can reduce the import shock, and Dangote Refinery is the biggest proof point. 

The refinery has been described as having 40–50 million litres/day PMS capacity, with stock cover said to exceed 20 days, evidence that local production can smooth supply in a volatile global market.

But the bigger lesson is this: production capacity alone does not guarantee lower prices. In October 2024, Dangote Refinery signed a supply arrangement with 20 marketers for 600 million litres per month, a structure intended to stabilise pricing and cut import reliance. 

The deal later reportedly fell apart over pricing disagreements, and imports rose again, showing how fragile domestic supply plans can be when commercial terms and market incentives do not align.

The simple takeaway

These top-10 countries are not just “expensive fuel markets.” They are warning signals of what happens when imports dominate supply, distribution costs stack up, and regulation can’t fully cushion global shocks. 

And for the rest of Africa, including Nigeria, the big issue is no longer whether fuel prices will affect the economy. It’s how quickly the effect spreads, and whether domestic supply and market rules can keep volatility under control.