Niger Republic, which started commercial oil production in 2011, now exports petroleum products to Nigeria, as the West African country’s refineries remain grounded.
For decades, Nigeria’s three major refineries have been grounded to near-zero capacity utilisation with all of its refined fuel imported from other countries.
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.
As Nigeria struggles to get its refineries working and to attract foreign investment to the downstream sector of the oil industry, Niger has built a single 20,000-barrel per day refinery with configuration for local market.
The facility 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.
It is worthy to note that Niger Republic built its refineries in less than three years, pushing utilisation from zero to about 90 per cent in 2019.
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1 Comment
This is a shame on Nigeria as the giant of Africa. The executive government and the National assembly members should cover their faces in shame. It took only three years to build refinery in Niger but it is taken more than 15 years just to renovate Lagos -Ibadan express way. Nigeria as one of the highest producer of crude oil cannot refined oil to satisfy domestic needs while that is possible in Niger Republic. Nigeria cannot maintain her own refineries but it is possible in Niger Republic. What type rulers are we having? There is no good net-work roads, constant power out-rage, incessant increase in pump oil prices in the name of deregulation and other essential commodities like electricity with various weak excuses. Well I am praying to God Almighty is to give us a single leader in this country because all I have seen and experience are rulers and not a single leader who are selfish and after their own pockets. I pray God to grant our wish one day.