Nigeria Now Buy Refined Petroleum Oil From Niger Republic

As Nigeria struggles to get its refineries working and to attract foreign investment to the downstream sector of the oil industry, Niger Republic has built a single 20,000-barrel per day refinery with configuration for local market.

1n 2011, Niger Republic started commercial exportation of oil production and it now exports petroleum products to Nigeria.

Nigeria has for many years depended on refined fuel from other countries.

The three major refineries in the country had been grounded to near-zero capacity utilisation.

According to Guardian, data obtained from the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARA) revealed that strong refinery performance in neighbouring Niger Republic meets local fuel demand, and the excess production is exported to Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso.

The single 20,000-barrel per day refinery facility in Niger is currently turning out liquefied petroleum gas, 7 per cent; gasoline, 32 per cent; and diesel, 61 per cent, to enable it optimise stranded crude supply.

Niger built its refineries in less than three years, pushing utilisation from zero to about 90 per cent in 2019.