Authorities in the Niger Republic have imposed a ban on exportations of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to Nigeria and other countries, a statement released by the government on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, has revealed.
According to the statement, gas produced locally should be used to supply the domestic market only, and where exists a surplus, a special authorisation can be sought to export it.
Over the years, Niger has exported gas to neighbouring Nigeria, and both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for petroleum products importation as recently as 2022.
The formal signing of the agreement was done in the presence of Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and Foumakoye Gado, who represented Niger Republic.
“This is a major step forward. The Niger Republic has some excess products which need to be evacuated. Nigeria has the market for these products. Therefore, this is going to be a win-win relationship for both countries,” Sylva had said.
“My hope is that this is going to be the beginning of deepening trade relations between Niger Republic and Nigeria,” he added.
However, the relationship between the two West African neighbours has strained no thanks to a recent military takeover of government in the Niger Republic.
Nigerian President and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Bola Tinubu, spearheaded the effort to force the military junta to restore the deposed President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum.
With the military leaders putting up a strong resistance against ECOWAS economic sanctions and threats of military invasion, it now appears that the putschists have gained footing to fully dictate Niger’s affairs.
LPG is used for cooking, heating, and vehicles, and its usage has continued to gain acceptance in Nigeria. LPG price has drastically increased in Nigeria, reaching an unprecedented high of N1,000 per kilogram from the previous N750.
