Ghana cuts fuel exports to Burkina Faso and Mali as domestic demand rises

Ghana’s state-owned fuel distributor BOST Energies has cut diesel and gasoline exports to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali since August as it prioritises growing domestic demand, according to the Managing Director, Afetsi Awoonor.

The move comes as global oil and gas supplies remain under pressure, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East contributing to tighter supplies and higher fuel prices in some countries, particularly across Africa.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger rely heavily on fuel imports from West African countries, including Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. As landlocked countries, much of the petrol and diesel they consume must enter through ports in coastal states before being transported overland into the Sahel.

For Burkina Faso, BOST supplied just 40,000 metric tons of fuel out of the 80,000 tons requested for July and August. Mali received 10,000 tons, despite reporting an additional need for 40,000 tons for August and September, according to Reuters.

BOST has about 30% of Ghana’s fuel import and distribution market, while domestic diesel consumption continues to rise as economic activity expands.

Ghana’s fuel prices surged earlier this year amid concerns over global supplies but have since eased, helped by a stronger cedi and government intervention.

Awoonor also said BOST plans to build a liquefied petroleum gas terminal in the industrial city of Tema by the fourth quarter of 2027 and begin importing LPG.

The company also plans to build an LPG storage facility in Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city, to distribute the fuel.

BOST intends to develop terminals at six locations across the country in phases as it expands its LPG storage and distribution network.