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

Published

6 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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Residents of Kachia call for media attention as bandit attacks escalate

Published

8 hours ago

September 8, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Residents of Kachia call for media attention as bandit attacks escalate

By: Zagazola Makama

Residents of Kachia Local Government Area in Kaduna State have raised concerns over the apparent underreporting of recurring bandit attacks and kidnappings in the area, urging major media houses to take notice.

In a statement signed by Rev. Fr. Agbo Gabriel, the community expressed frustration that despite enduring more than two years without consistent electricity, and relying on solar power where possible, the security challenges in Kachia and surrounding villages have largely gone unreported.

According to the statement, in the early hours of Sunday, September 7, 2025, bandits attacked Wakeh village in Agunu District, killing eight people, injuring many others, and burning homes and property.

The attacks, the statement says, have similarly affected Ankwa, Bishini, Katari, and other villages, leaving communities displaced, traumatised, and in despair.

“The poor people of Kachia town, who used to host internally displaced persons from surrounding villages, are now themselves being targeted,” Rev. Fr. Gabriel said. “Kidnappings from farms and homes are happening daily, yet media coverage remains virtually absent. We are forced to ask: where are the correspondents or reporters of major media houses in Kaduna and Kachia?”

The statement appealed to Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to urgently address the insecurity in Kachia LGA, highlighting the area’s potential and importance to the state. Residents also called for stronger community-based surveillance, engagement of local leaders, and collective action to protect vulnerable villages.

Rev. Fr. Gabriel emphasised that local vigilance is critical at this time, urging residents to report suspicious activities and support one another in defending their communities.

“Kachia is a land of great potential and does not deserve such neglect,” the statement concluded. “Media houses, we need your attention. Kachia too exists.”

Zagazola report that the Kaduna State had not released any statement regarding the unfortunate incident.

Residents of Kachia call for media attention as bandit attacks escalate

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Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA foil bandits’ attack in Katsina

Published

3 days ago

September 6, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA foil bandits’ attack in Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and Police Command in Katsina State, have foiled an attempted attack by armed bandits in Malumfashi Local Government Area.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 7:35 p.m. following credible intelligence that armed bandits on motorcycles were heading towards Gora village.

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and other security operatives, intercepted the bandits and engaged in a fierce gun duel.

The bandits fled in disarray under superior firepower. No casualty was recorded, and calm has since returned to the area,”said sources.

The sources added that aggressive patrols and clearance operations had been intensified to track down the fleeing criminals.

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA foil bandits’ attack in Katsina

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“When nations come together, we can overcome the hardest challenges”- UN Resident Coordinator Insists

Published

1 week ago

August 31, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

“When nations come together, we can overcome the hardest challenges”- UN Resident Coordinator Insists

By: Michael Mike

In advancing its advocacy and sensitisation of critical stakeholders on the ‘Pact for the future’, the United Nations in Nigeria in collaboration with partners, has convened a strategic dialogue on the United Nations at 80 and the Pact.

At the dialogue, convened in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), and the Office of Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), and held at the UN House in Abuja, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, reiterated the importance of international cooperation in solving the world’s most challenging issues.

He said: “Peace is fragile. Inequalities grow. Climate change accelerates. Technology advances faster than governance. Yet one truth remains constant: when nations come together, when people come together, we can overcome even the hardest challenges,” adding: “That is why the Pact for the Future matters.”

Fall further said that the Pact rested on five pillars: Sustainable development, Peace and security, Science and technology, Youth and future generations, and transforming global governance.

He noted that the pillars were not abstract ideas, as they represent the foundation of the world we want. A world of peace, dignity, equality, and sustainability.

“That is why the United Nations is working hand in hand with Nigeria on the Pact for the Future. We are aligning our cooperation with the five pillars of the pact and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as we know that the SDGs are lagging. We are leaving no one behind.” The UN Resident Coordinator added.

Former Head of State and Chairman National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (Rtd) said in his video message: “Dialogue must now lead to tangible results. Our commitment must be credible, time-bound and deliverable. Anything less can lead to distrust and weaken our democracy.”

To the participants he charged, “Your responsibility is to commit to concrete steps that will align every peacebuilding effort towards real progress. Nigeria’s future will be secured only by our unity of purpose and the sincerity of follow-through.”

The Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Syndoph Endoni, expressed the Permanent Mission’s appreciation of the dialogue, stating that it was not merely an exchange of views, but a collective effort to advance the effective realization of the Pact for the Future and reinforce Nigeria’s peace building framework.

He disclosed that Nigeria was reviewing existing peacebuilding frameworks and initiatives by identifying key achievements, gaps, and opportunities for reform; prioritising critical areas of focus, including security sector reform, women’s participation in peace and security and youth engagement; and addressing cross-border terrorism, organized crime, and proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as well as climate-related security risks.

Speaking at the event, Director of the United Nations’s Team for Pact Implementation, Themba Kalua, underlined Nigeria’s leadership role in this new era of multilateralism. According to him, Nigeria was an active voice in negotiating the Pact, pushing for progress on poverty eradication, digital cooperation, Security Council reform and climate justice.

The Pact for the Future, he said, “strongly resonates with Africa’s Agenda 2063. Both envision a just, peaceful and prosperous continent, powered by inclusive development and regional solidarity. Aligning the Pact with African priorities and national strategies will be essential to translate words into real change. Nigeria’s experience and leadership at regional and global levels make it a vital partner in this endeavour.”

The Chairman of Savannah Centre and Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Professor Ibrahim Gambari, referenced the New Agenda for Peace, a United Nations policy brief, launched in July 2023 by Secretary-General António Guterres, that outlines a vision for strengthening international cooperation to prevent conflict and build sustainable peace.

Gambari, who was also a former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, emphasised that the Agenda remained a living guide to everyone in promoting trust, solidarity, and universality through concrete actions like investing in prevention and peacebuilding, empowering women and youth, reducing strategic risks from new technologies and climate change, and adapting to new forms of violence.

“When nations come together, we can overcome the hardest challenges”- UN Resident Coordinator Insists