Niger Republic has turned to Nigeria for assistance following a crippling fuel shortage, despite recent diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring nations.
Sources revealed to The PUNCH that a high-level delegation from Niger’s military junta traveled to Abuja to engage with representatives of the Nigerian government. After deliberations, Nigeria reportedly approved the delivery of 300 trucks of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the West African country.
A senior Nigerian government official, familiar with the development, stated that the deal was approved with strategic intentions, as Nigeria aims to use it as a “bargaining tool” in ongoing negotiations with Niger.
According to the official, Niger had been relying on fuel imports from a Chinese refinery. However, disruptions in supply led to the refinery shutting down, leaving the country in a dire situation. As the crisis worsened, the Nigerien government reached out to Nigeria for emergency fuel supply, though the specifics of the arrangement remain undisclosed.
“We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation, as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.
“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens,” the source added.
Officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) indicated that such a deal would likely have been brokered by the Presidency, as the national oil company now operates as a limited liability entity. Similarly, a source at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery declined to comment, citing diplomatic sensitivities.
The Presidency also remained silent on the matter.
Niger’s Fuel Crisis Worsens
The fuel shortage in Niger reached critical levels last week, with reports indicating that the price of petrol soared to N8,000 per liter in some regions.
Findings in Sokoto State, which shares a border with Niger, revealed significant price variations depending on the location.
A Nigerian businessman involved in transborder trade, Mallam Abubakar Usman, described the severity of the situation: “There is serious scarcity of fuel in the country. It depends on where one is getting the fuel.
“In Konni, the border town between Nigeria and Niger, you can get a litre at 1,200 CFA, which is about N2,500. If you go to Agadez, the same litre of fuel is 3,000 CFA, equivalent to N7,500 per litre. In Arilit, a local government under Agadez, which is the border town between Niger and Algeria, it is 3,500 CFA, which is about N8,750 when converted to our currency.”
He attributed the crisis to the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Niger.
An official of the Nigerian Immigration Service, speaking anonymously, confirmed that trucks carrying petrol had been spotted crossing the border into Niger.