Image: Nigeria Presidency twitter
Yesterday Nigeria and the Republic of Niger signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct a hydrocarbon pipeline and a petroleum refinery.
Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu and H.E. Foumakaye Gado, Minister of Energy for Niger, signed the deal at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The refinery, to be built in Mashi in Katsina State, is anticipated to be complete by 2021, and will have a capacity of between 100,000 and 150,000 barrels per day. The project will create over 2,500 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs.
The pipeline network will supply crude oil from the Republic of Niger to the refinery. Witnessing the signing of the agreement, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said: “Nigeria sees this cooperation on crude oil export from the Republic of Niger and the construction of the refinery facilities in Katsina State as a win-win situation for both nations.”
President Buhari added that he expects that the two countries to come up with detailed plans and guidelines for the project by December of this year.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Niger’s Minister of Petroleum will be keynote speakers at the third annual Africa Oil & Power conference to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on September 5-7 2018.
