Like everywhere else, in India too, the Iran – US and Israel conflict remains the most closely watched geopolitical phenomenon. Yet, two recent developments - small but significant - must not be missed from India’s energy security point of view.

First, India’s largest state-owned refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), buying about 2 million barrels of crude from Angola, as India accelerates a shift away from Russian oil, and second, Engineers’ India Limited (EIL) securing a contract worth over US$350mn to oversee the capacity expansion of Nigeria’s biggest refinery - Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.4m bpd. Given the current geopolitical scenario, the two developments strongly indicate the role of West-African countries emerging as long-term stable energy partners for India. 

Driven by persistent geopolitical uncertainty and escalating conflict in West Asia, renewed energy security challenges have emerged for India. Yet, despite this regional instability, quite evidently, India has managed to navigate a relatively stable energy pathway during the last two weeks. This has been made possible due to a combination of proactive policy calibration, real-time monitoring, and adaptive strategic response in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.

"Indian energy companies now have access to energy supplies that are not routed through the Strait of Hormuz. Such cargoes will remain available and help mitigate supplies that may be temporarily affected en route through the Strait of Hormuz," Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, had informed in the first week of March. This timely logistical realignment has helped safeguard India’s daily crude requirement of around 5.5 million barrels, even as conflict-driven uncertainties ripple across global markets.

Diversification: The Right Move 

The ongoing war has reshaped the energy calculus for heavily import-dependent India, with nearly 88% of its crude oil and 50% of its natural gas supply coming from the distant shores. Yet India’s relative insulation from severe shocks highlights the success of one key policy move i.e. diversification. Over the past two decades, India has systematically expanded its crude sourcing base—from 27 countries in 2006-07 to over 40 today. This has reduced, to some extent, excessive dependence on the Gulf region, with its share in India’s import basket declining from 72% in 2017-18 to nearly 63%. 

But is diversification alone sufficient for a country which is the third largest importer of petroleum products globally? As the current crisis shows, diversification alone doesn’t ensure resilience. Mainly because, a robust energy security system requires a deeper architecture — one that combines diversified sourcing with logistical flexibility, strategic reserves, long-term contracts and a forward-looking mutually beneficial energy diplomacy. It is within this broader framework that West Africa is quietly emerging as a critical energy partner for India.

West Africa: Strategic Energy Partnership

The African Energy Chamber's (AEC) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook forecasts oil and gas production to reach 11.4 million barrels per day in Africa, driven by projects in countries like Angola, Nigeria, and Mozambique. Other West and Central African nations viz. Ghana, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Equatorial Guinea are also fast emerging as sustainable oil suppliers. 

Nigeria and Angola are already central to India’s crude import strategy and the contemporary strategic shifts, due to the uncertainties in the supply chains, present a significant opportunity for them to expand their role as key energy partners for India. Nigeria being Africa’s largest oil producer is critical for India to ensure a stable supply of crude oil and natural gas. In December 2025, India imported $296M from Nigeria, primarily driven by crude petroleum (US$200M) and petroleum products (US$86.1M). 

Angola, sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, pumps around 1.1 million barrels per day and remains a key supplier of medium-to-light sweet crude known for its high transport fuel yield. India is the 3rd largest trading partner of Angola sharing about 10% of Angola´s external trade, mainly on account of bulk crude oil purchase. 

Ghana is further cementing its position as a major oil producer in West and Central Africa after the Jubilee offshore field raising crude oil production to nearly 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) following the completion of the J‑74 producer well. Industry analysts say the ramp-up will not only stabilise Ghana’s output but also strengthen West Africa’s oil supply, where exports remain heavily concentrated in a few offshore fields. 

Moreover, the region also holds significant untapped reserves and emerging producers. Countries like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire are expanding offshore exploration, while continued deepwater discoveries point to strong long-term supply potential. 

West Africa’s Atlantic-facing geography reduces reliance on chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, its crude quality aligns with India’s refining strengths, and its emerging production landscape offers long-term supply potential.

Win-win For India And Africa 

India has not just been a major importer of crude oil and an exporter of refined petroleum products to Africa; it has also been a significant partner for research and development as well. Indian PSUs like ONGC Videsh Limited, Oil India Limited, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), as well as major private players including L&T, Punj Lloyd and Afcons are exploring upstream and downstream opportunities in Africa.

The oil economy of West African countries is a critical pillar of the region’s growth and India is playing a significant role in strengthening it. From heavy engineering and offshore infrastructure to pipeline and energy infrastructure EPC as well as technical consultancy and design, Indian companies in Africa span the entire energy value chain and are providing the much-needed research and technological support to provide a robust foundation to the oil and energy sector in Africa.

Thereby positioning India not just as a buyer of African energy, but as a long-term development and investment partner. Seen in this context, it becomes quite significant that Nigeria’s biggest refinery - Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, aims to surpass the Reliance Industries-owned Jamnagar Refinery in Gujarat – currently the world’s largest with a 1.24m bpd capacity, in its massive expansion plan. Importantly, such collaborations signal a transition from a transactional relationship to a strategic partnership, encompassing infrastructure, technology, and capacity building.

Undoubtedly, India’s diversification strategy has been a crucial first step in its long-term energy security, and with the growing commercial engagement with West African nations, it has the potential to evolve into a future-ready holistic energy security framework. Given the inter-dependence of the sector, West Africa is a strategic fit with India’s energy diplomacy as well as in the broader Africa Policy. As India’s engagement with Africa remains quite comprehensive - encompassing development partnerships, capacity building, technology transfer and lines of credit - the resulting goodwill can translate into tangible strategic gains, particularly in the form of a geopolitical hedge.

(The writer is a geopolitical analyst and Director of the African Centre of India. Views are personal.)