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According to our colleagues at Africa News, Niger, a landlocked but oil-rich country, is looking for ways to export its oil bypassing Benin after facing security and diplomatic challenges.
According to media reports, a 1,930-kilometer pipeline project supported by China will connect the Agadem oil field to the port of Cotonou in Benin.
The project, which aims to significantly increase Niger’s oil production, was facilitated by a $400 million deal signed in April 2024 with China National Petroleum Corporation.
However, major obstacles threaten the project’s realization. A diplomatic dispute with Benin led to the closure of the pipeline last week.
Additionally, the Patriotic Liberation Front, a local rebel group, claimed responsibility for the attack that damaged part of the pipeline and threatened further action if the deal with China is not canceled, Africa News reported.
In response, Niger is considering opening new export routes through neighboring Chad and Cameroon, according to our colleagues. This alternative, as well as Nigeria’s, was considered before Nigerian authorities backed a pipeline to Benin.
Lefaso.com
Source: Africanews
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