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With Nowhere Else to Turn, Niger Begs Nigeria for Fuel Amid Severe Shortages

Published

3 months ago

March 14, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

With Nowhere Else to Turn, Niger Begs Nigeria for Fuel Amid Severe Shortages

By: Zagazola Makama

For nearly two weeks, Niger Republic has been crippled by a severe fuel crisis, bringing vehicular movement and economic activity to a grinding halt. Long queues stretched across cities, with desperate motorists and businesses struggling to obtain a few liters of petrol. The situation was so dire that the military junta, which once prided itself on rejecting external influence, had no choice but to swallow its pride and turn to Nigeria for help.

Despite months of hostile rhetoric and diplomatic friction, Niger’s rulers quietly dispatched their Minister of Petroleum and Renewable Energy, along with top officials from the Niger Petroleum Company (SONIDEP), to beg Abuja for urgent fuel supplies. Nigeria, ever the regional big brother, obliged, approving the immediate delivery of 300 fuel trucks across the border to Niamey.

Niger’s fuel crisis didn’t happen overnight. It was the direct consequence of a disastrous confrontation between the ruling junta and Chinese oil companies, which have long dominated Niger’s petroleum sector. The trouble began in March 2024, when China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) granted the Nigerien government a $400 million advance, using future crude oil deliveries as collateral. This deal was meant to help Niger cope with the crippling economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the July 2023 coup. However, when it came time to repay the debt, the junta found itself strapped for cash.

Rather than negotiating, the military rulers decided to strong-arm China. In a move that stunned industry insiders, they slapped an $80 billion tax demand on SORAZ (Zinder Refinery Company) despite the state-owned Sonidep already owing SORAZ a staggering $250 billion. When China refused to provide additional loans, the junta retaliated by expelling Chinese oil executives from the country and seizing SORAZ’s bank accounts.

A Self-Inflicted Crisis

This reckless decision backfired almost immediately. Niger’s entire petroleum sector which is heavily reliant on Chinese expertise and investment began to collapse. The SORAZ refinery, the lifeline of Niger’s fuel supply, ground to a halt, and fuel shortages spread like wildfire.
This crisis could not have come at a worse time. The Niger-Benin oil pipeline, a project designed to boost Niger’s crude exports to 100,000 barrels per day by 2025, was also at risk. With Chinese engineers gone and no viable alternative in place, the junta’s decision plunged the country into economic uncertainty.

Turning to Nigeria for Help

For weeks, the military leadership refused to acknowledge the crisis publicly. State-controlled media was ordered to stay silent about the fuel shortage and the growing unrest among Nigeriens, who were forced to buy petrol at sky-high black-market prices.

But as the situation worsened, the junta had no choice but to seek external help even if it meant approaching Nigeria, the very country they had repeatedly criticized since the coup.
Without any public announcement, Niger quietly sent a delegation to Abuja, appealing for an emergency fuel supply. The irony was lost on no one this was the same junta that had openly defied ECOWAS sanctions, severed ties with France and the West, and aligned itself with Russia. Yet when faced with economic collapse, it was Nigeria that they turned to for salvation.

Nigeria Plays the Good Neighbor Again

Despite months of insults, false accusations, name calling, diplomatic snubs, and hostility, Nigeria once again stepped in to help. It was gathered that the Nigerian Government approved the release of 300 fuel trucks, which immediately began crossing into Niger to ease the crisis.

The junta, however, remains too proud to admit its dependency. While fuel shipments from Nigeria have already started alleviating the crisis, Niger’s state media has deliberately avoided reporting where the fuel is coming from. Instead, the government has attempted to portray the fuel availability as a result of its own internal measures a claim that many Nigeriens are beginning to question.

Will Nigeria Gain Diplomatic Leverage?

While Nigeria’s generosity is commendable, the real question remains: What does Nigeria get in return? Will this act of goodwill translate into improved diplomatic relations? Will Niger’s military rulers rethink their hostility toward ECOWAS? Or will they simply take the fuel and continue their defiance once the crisis subsides?

Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: when Niger was on the brink of disaster, it was Nigeria not Russia, not China, not any of its new allies that stepped up to provide relief.

For now, Niger has been forced to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: no matter how much they try to distance themselves from Nigeria, they remain dependent on their bigger neighbor.

And whether the junta admits it or not, Nigeria remains the lifeline Niger cannot afford to sever.

Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region

With Nowhere Else to Turn, Niger Begs Nigeria for Fuel Amid Severe Shortages

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Nigeria, UK Sign MoU to Checkmate Illicit Drug Trafficking

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Nigeria, UK Sign MoU to Checkmate Illicit Drug Trafficking

By: Michael Mike

The governments of Nigeria and United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enhance the fight against transnational organized crime, particularly the trafficking of illicit drugs and other prohibited commodities between Nigeria and the UK.

Signing the MoU on Nigeria side is the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and for the UK is the Home Office International Operations (HOIO).

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Monday, the Regional Manager (West Africa) of HOIO, Mr. Ian Cunliffe, expressed appreciation for the productive relationship between NDLEA and HOIO.

He said: “I’d like to start by thanking the chairman for his time today and for the gracious welcome. I know the chairman had a great relationship with my predecessor, Christopher Hawksfield and with HOIO which has been really, really productive and I am really keen to maintain and enhance that relationship going forward. I think the signing of this MoU today is the beginning of the next phase of our relationship.”

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.) while acknowledging the excellent relationship with HOIO and Cunliffe’s predecessor, said “I have absolutely no doubt that we will also have the same relationship with you. I appreciate the HOIO for all the tremendous work that you have been doing with us.”

Marwa said the MoU “is not just an agreement, it is indeed a reaffirmation of our mutual trust, cooperation, collaboration and unwavering dedication to safeguarding the lives and futures of our respective nations. Nigeria, through the NDLEA, continues to scale up its drug control measures according to the National Drug Control Master Plan.

“We have a road-map and this MoU adds to the strategy framework by establishing a clear, lawful and secure mechanism for sharing personal data, intelligence and operational insights in line with international conventions, national laws and global best practices. Together I know we will close ranks against crime and deepen the bonds of mutual responsibility and respect.

“We are convinced that stronger intelligence sharing leads to stronger enforcement. This partnership will enhance our collective ability to interdict criminal suspects, disrupt trafficking networks, and trace illicit financial flows with greater precision and speed.”

Nigeria, UK Sign MoU to Checkmate Illicit Drug Trafficking

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Turkiye Celebrates a Turkish Cuisine Week in Nigeria

Published

3 days ago

May 26, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Turkiye Celebrates a Turkish Cuisine Week in Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

Türkiye has celebrated Turkish Cuisine Week, a celebration of one of the world’s richest culinary traditions.

Speaking to journalists during the hosting of media practitioners by the Turkish Embassy in Abuja at the weekend, Ambassador Mehmet Poroy, who is waiting to submit his letter of credence to President Bola Ahmed, said his country has one of the world’s richest culinary traditions since Turkish foods have been enriched by traces of countless civilisations for centuries.

At the meeting which was part of activities lined up to celebrate this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week in Türkiye and around the world, an event celebrated annually from May 21 to May 27 through various events across the world and in the country. Poroy explained that for centuries of people migration from different cultures and races to Türkiye culminating in the country becoming a melting point for all aspects of life, including culinary traditions.

He noted that through the annual Turkish Cuisine Week, Turkiye has continued to share its rich ‘gastronomic culture’ with the rest of the world.

He said that this year’s celebration aimed to build intercultural bridges with a focus on the backbone of Turkish cuisine’s “Classic Dishes.”

Commenting on the impact he hopes to make in Nigeria, the envoy said paramount among them is to improve the bilateral trade relations between Nigeria and Turkiye.

He said plan was underway to scale up the current trade volume to a target of 5 billion dollars.

He said the high number of travelers between the two countries with about 16 flights weekly required bolstering bilateral ties, and expanding visa centres to other big cities, apart from Abuja and Lagos.

Turkiye’s Classic Dishes symbolise its cuisine’s traditional, healthy, and waste-free culinary heritage, which stand out as the shining gems of the cuisine, embodying natural rich flavors with unique preservation and cooking techniques.

Each dish reflects the traces of centuries-old traditions from Anatolia’s fertile soil and showcases the diversity of the Turkish cuisine and its universal value through their simplicity and natural flavors.

In Turkiye, traditional dishes are far more than a collection of recipes, they are an intrinsic part of its culture, often bringing people together at the dinner table in a way that fosters connection and shared understanding.

Turkiye Celebrates a Turkish Cuisine Week in Nigeria

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Chillariye speaks on reconciliation between Ngizimawa and Karai-karai tribes in Yobe

Published

3 days ago

May 26, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Chillariye speaks on reconciliation between Ngizimawa and Karai-karai tribes in Yobe

By: Yahaya Wakili

The chairman of the reconciliation committee between Ngizimawa and Karai-karai and adviser on nongovernmental affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni, CON, Alhaji Adamu Abdu Chillariye, has said that about 85% out of 100 of the reconciliation was successfully achieved.

Chillariye started this when the leaders of Ngizimawa from Mamudo constituents (Yanki Shida), led by Hon. Saidu Arjali, called on him to brief them on the progress so far. He said, Now we will arrange how we would meet together to discuss what worries us.

He calls on individuals who have an interest in this move to make their own contribution by enlightening the people on peace living, adding that the unity of Ngizimawa and Karai-karai is the unity of all the tribes in Yobe State.

“Lack of unity of these two major tribes in the Yobe South Senatorial District is worrying some of the people of the zone as well as destabilizing the politics of the zone. Therefore, we are now trying to build the permanent relationship with Stone to be very strong so that it will not break down again,” Adamu Chillariye said.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegates, Hon. Saidu Arjali, senior liaison officer to Governor Mai Mala Buni, said the reason why we come here is to bring peace and harmony between our tribes Ngizimawa and Karai-karai people.

“Because we are the majority in the zone, especially in Potiskum, and we are scattered by some political leaders, that is why we want to unite ourselves in order to help our governor in the next coming elections and also to fulfill his promises to the people during the last 2023 campaign,” Arjali said.

According to Arjali, “Our governor is trying his own ability, so being Karai-karai and Ngizimawa have been scattered for a long time, and our people have some votes for another party, some have not even voted; therefore, we call on our people not to vote for another party or refuse to vote in the next elections.

Chillariye speaks on reconciliation between Ngizimawa and Karai-karai tribes in Yobe