Niger Republic to supply gas to Nigeria

THE Minister of Energy and Oil for Niger Republic, Foumakoye Gado, has said that his country is making efforts to tap gas from its crude reserve based in Zinder province in order to satisfy its energy requirement as well as to supply part of it to Nigeria which he described as a “strategic neighbour”. The minister, who said this when he received Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso in Niamey, added that the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Adamu Aliero, recently secured an oil bloc in his country. “Only last week, a former Nigerian minister, Adamu Aliero, was allotted an oil block in Niger Republic, so the oil sector is a good area for Nigerian investors to come in,” he said.He said Niger would build a coal power plant as part of measures to reduce its power dependence on Nigeria, which he said currently, supplies 60-70 per cent of its energy needs. He added that the country’s only refinery produces 16,000 barrels of crude oil per day, while its daily needs is approximately 6,000- 8,000 barrels. Gado further stated that his country intends to sell its excess crude to Nigeria and Burkina Faso and use the proceeds to improve its social services sector. Responding, Governor Kwankwaso expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment with which Niger Republic is overhauling its energy sector. He noted that businessmen from Nigeria, especially Kano State could invest in the Nigerien energy sector for mutual benefits. The governor added that part of measures taken by his government to improve livestock development included the establishment of a livestock institute and five other agriculture based institutes.