Rising fuel costs across Africa have continued to strain households and businesses, but a number of countries still maintain relatively low pump prices due to subsidies and domestic oil production.

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Libya — N31.51 per litre

Angola — N447.99 per litre

Algeria — N484.98 per litre

Egypt — N601.43 per litre

Sudan — N959 per litre

Tunisia — N1,175.46 per litre

Niger — N1,202.86 per litre

Nigeria — N1,215.19 per litre

Ethiopia — N1,235.74 per litre

While several economies have seen sharp increases linked to global crude oil volatility and supply disruptions, others have managed to shield consumers through state support and local refining capacity.

Due to heavy subsidies and domestic production, Libya, Angola, and Algeria maintain the cheapest fuel prices in Africa.

Data from GlobalPetrolPrices shows that North African and oil-producing nations dominate the list of countries with the cheapest fuel prices in April 2026.

Libya — N31.51 per litre

Libya offers petrol at approximately N31.51 per litre, making it the cheapest in Africa and one of the lowest in the entire world.

The country sits on Africa’s largest proven oil reserves, and the government has historically maintained fuel subsidies as a social contract with citizens, even through years of political instability and civil conflict. The result is a pump price that is essentially symbolic rather than market-driven.

Angola — N447.99 per litre

Angola sells petrol at N447.99 per litre. Domestic crude production and managed pricing help keep fuel relatively inexpensive.

Angola is sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil producer, and the government has historically used petroleum revenues to partially subsidise retail fuel prices, though it has been gradually reforming its subsidy structure under IMF guidance.

Algeria — N484.98 per litre

Algeria offers petrol at $0.357 per litre, supported by government subsidies and a strong oil and gas sector. Algeria is a major OPEC member and one of Africa’s top natural gas exporters.

Fuel subsidies have long been embedded in the country’s social welfare model, though fiscal pressures from global oil price swings continue to test their long-term sustainability.

Egypt — N601.43 per litre

Egypt’s petrol price is about N601.43per litre. Recent subsidy reductions have moderately increased retail prices compared with highly subsidised markets. Egypt has been working through an IMF-supported economic reform program that includes gradual fuel subsidy cuts.

Despite the reforms, the government still shields consumers from full international market exposure, keeping Egypt among the continent’s cheapest markets.

Sudan — N959 per litre

Sudan’s petrol price stands at N959 per litre. Sudan lost a significant share of its oil production capacity when South Sudan seceded in 2011, taking roughly 75% of the combined country’s reserves with it.

Despite this, Sudan has maintained partial price controls on fuel, though the ongoing economic crisis and the civil war that erupted in 2023 have made consistent subsidy management increasingly difficult.

Tunisia — N1,175.46 per litre

Tunisia’s petrol price is N1,175.46 per litre. Tunisia is a net oil importer with modest domestic production, but the state-owned energy company STEG and government pricing policy have kept retail fuel below open-market rates.

The country has been under significant fiscal stress, making subsidy reform a recurring discussion in its IMF negotiations, but consumer prices remain partially shielded for now.

Niger — N1,202.86 per litre

Niger’s petrol price sits at N1,202.86 per litre. Niger has been developing its oil sector, including the Agadem oilfield and a pipeline to Benin.

Despite being a relatively new oil producer, the government has maintained a managed pricing structure for domestic fuel, keeping prices below the West African regional average. Political transitions in recent years have not significantly disrupted this policy.

Nigeria — N1,215.19 per litre

Nigeria’s petrol price is N1,215.19 per litre. Nigeria recorded the largest petrol price increase in Africa, rising 39.5% between February 23 and March 16, 2026. The surge followed the removal of the longstanding fuel subsidy in 2023 and the devaluation of the naira.

Nigeria remains Africa’s largest oil producer, yet paradoxically imports most of its refined fuel, a structural issue the Dangote Refinery is beginning to address.

Ethiopia — N1,235.74 per litre

Ethiopia’s petrol price is N1,235.74 per litre. Ethiopia is not an oil producer, which makes its position in this ranking somewhat surprising. The government heavily subsidises fuel as part of broader cost-of-living management, given that high transport costs would ripple through food prices in a largely agrarian economy.

These subsidies place a significant burden on the national budget, which remains under strain from post-conflict reconstruction following the Tigray war.

Gabon — N1,435.76 per litre

Gabon’s fuel price of N1,435.76 per litre sits significantly below the global average of 837.56 CFA francs. The government’s subsidy program cost approximately 110 billion ($180 million) in 2024, playing a crucial role in shielding consumers from global price shocks.

In November 2025, authorities postponed plans to remove these subsidies until at least 2026, citing concerns over inflation and social stability (Nigerian Tribune)

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