Ghana cuts fuel exports to Burkina Faso and Mali as global supply tightens

Ghana’s state-owned BOST Energies has cut diesel and petrol exports to Burkina Faso and Mali since August as it prioritises domestic supply amid tightening international fuel markets, Reuters reported on September 16.

BOST supplied Burkina Faso with about 40,000 tonnes of fuel against 80,000 tonnes requested for July and August. It exported 10,000 tonnes to Mali over the same period, while Mali had sought an additional 40,000 tonnes for August and September.

The reductions come as disruptions linked to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have tightened global fuel supplies and pushed international prices higher.

The squeeze has already altered West African trade flows. Nigeria’s Dangote refinery increased petroleum-product exports to African markets earlier this year, including Ghana, as reduced flows of lower-cost fuel from Europe and the Gulf pushed West African buyers towards regional supply.

“Supply is available, but it’s at a high cost,” BOST managing director Afetsi Awoonor told Reuters, saying stronger demand had strained supplies and complicated efforts to keep domestic prices stable.

BOST, which accounts for about 30% of Ghana’s fuel market, is also facing stronger domestic diesel demand as economic activity expands, increasing pressure to secure local supply and contain prices. Diesel accounts for about two-thirds of BOST’s supplies, according to Awoonor.

Ghanaian fuel prices have nevertheless eased from earlier highs, helped by a stronger cedi and government intervention, Reuters reported.

The cuts underline the vulnerability of landlocked Sahel economies to disruptions in fuel flows from West Africa’s coastal states. Burkina Faso and Mali, along with Niger, rely heavily on imported petroleum products routed through countries including Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

For Mali, the squeeze comes after repeated attacks on fuel convoys along its main southern supply corridor from Côte d’Ivoire. IntelliNews reported in December, citing the Critical Threats Project, that Mali imports about 57% of its fuel from Côte d’Ivoire, underscoring the importance of alternative coastal supply routes.

BOST also plans an LPG terminal in Tema by the fourth quarter of 2027 and a phased network of facilities at six locations, beginning with storage capacity in Kumasi.