By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Niger Republic has turned to Nigeria for assistance following a crippling fuel shortage, despite recent diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring nations.

Sources revealed to The PUNCH that a high-level delegation from Niger’s military junta traveled to Abuja to engage with representatives of the Nigerian government. After deliberations, Nigeria reportedly approved the delivery of 300 trucks of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the West African country.

A senior Nigerian government official, familiar with the development, stated that the deal was approved with strategic intentions, as Nigeria aims to use it as a “bargaining tool” in ongoing negotiations with Niger.

According to the official, Niger had been relying on fuel imports from a Chinese refinery. However, disruptions in supply led to the refinery shutting down, leaving the country in a dire situation. As the crisis worsened, the Nigerien government reached out to Nigeria for emergency fuel supply, though the specifics of the arrangement remain undisclosed.

“We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation, as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.

“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens,” the source added.

Officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) indicated that such a deal would likely have been brokered by the Presidency, as the national oil company now operates as a limited liability entity. Similarly, a source at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery declined to comment, citing diplomatic sensitivities.

The Presidency also remained silent on the matter.

Niger’s Fuel Crisis Worsens

The fuel shortage in Niger reached critical levels last week, with reports indicating that the price of petrol soared to N8,000 per liter in some regions.

Findings in Sokoto State, which shares a border with Niger, revealed significant price variations depending on the location.

A Nigerian businessman involved in transborder trade, Mallam Abubakar Usman, described the severity of the situation: “There is serious scarcity of fuel in the country. It depends on where one is getting the fuel.

“In Konni, the border town between Nigeria and Niger, you can get a litre at 1,200 CFA, which is about N2,500. If you go to Agadez, the same litre of fuel is 3,000 CFA, equivalent to N7,500 per litre. In Arilit, a local government under Agadez, which is the border town between Niger and Algeria, it is 3,500 CFA, which is about N8,750 when converted to our currency

He attributed the crisis to the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Niger.

An official of the Nigerian Immigration Service, speaking anonymously, confirmed that trucks carrying petrol had been spotted crossing the border into Niger.

Niger-China Oil Dispute Escalates Crisis

Niger’s fuel crisis is believed to be a result of a conflict between the country’s ruling military junta and Chinese oil companies, which have long dominated its petroleum sector.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama, in an article published on X, traced the dispute back to March 2024, when the China National Petroleum Corporation provided a $400 million advance to the Nigerien government, using future crude oil deliveries as collateral.

The funds were meant to help Niger cope with the economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the July 2023 coup. However, when the repayment deadline arrived, the junta struggled to meet its financial obligations.

Rather than renegotiating, the military government responded by imposing an $80 billion tax demand on Soraz (Zinder Refinery Company), despite the state-owned Sonidep already owing the refinery a staggering $250 billion.

When China refused to grant additional loans, the junta retaliated by expelling Chinese oil executives and freezing Soraz’s bank accounts. The move backfired, leading to the collapse of Niger’s petroleum sector, which was heavily dependent on Chinese investment and expertise.

With the Soraz refinery grinding to a halt, fuel shortages spread rapidly. However, the Commercial Director of Niger’s state-owned oil company, Sonidep, Maazou Aboubacar, argued that the crisis was primarily due to the disruption of black-market fuel supplies from Nigeria.

The country’s refinery, he said, only provides Sonidep with 25 tanker trucks of petrol per day, while national consumption is nearly double that amount. Domestic demand surged further after the military government reduced fuel prices following its takeover in 2023.

Nigeria Extends a Helping Hand Despite Past Tensions
Despite strained relations, Nigeria has stepped in to supply Niger with fuel. The country’s leader, Brig. Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, previously accused Nigeria of collaborating with France to destabilize Niger through alleged support for terrorist groups.

In December 2024, Tchiani, speaking in Hausa, claimed that a terrorist training camp was being planned in Gaba Forest, near Sokoto, as part of an agreement between France and the Islamic State West Africa Province. He further alleged that Nigerian authorities were aware of the situation—an accusation Nigeria firmly denied.

In February 2025, Niger further strained relations by restricting entry for Nigerians carrying ECOWAS passports.

Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama noted that despite these hostilities, Nigeria had chosen to assist Niger in mitigating its fuel crisis.

While sharing videos of fuel trucks heading into Niger, Makama pointed out that the junta remained reluctant to acknowledge its dependence on Nigeria.

“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,” he stated.

Nigeria Supplies 13.5 Million Litres of Petrol
Reacting to the development, oil marketers estimated that the approved 300 trucks of PMS amounted to approximately 13.5 million liters of petrol.

With each truck carrying an average of 45,000 liters, the total supply to Niger is expected to help ease the crisis significantly.

However, the marketers reassured that Nigeria has enough fuel reserves to sustain domestic demand while extending support to its neighbors.

The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Hammed Fashola, confirmed awareness of the fuel crisis in Niger and expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to supply fuel without any domestic disruptions.

“I will not say we don’t have that capacity with the refineries we have in the country. I think we have enough to supply Niger Republic,” he stated.

Similarly, Billy Gillis-Harry, National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), affirmed that Nigeria could provide fuel to Niger for diplomatic reasons without compromising its own supply.

“If we have a diplomatic reason for that, it is doable,” he said.