Nigeria and Niger Republic will in 60 days sign binding bilateral and technical agreements to develop and build a new petroleum refinery in Katsina town which borders both countries, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has stated.
“Thursday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, met with the President of the Republic of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, and the Energy Minister of the Republic of Niger, Mr. Foumakoye Gado.
A small note exchanged with Thisday reporter in Abuja indicated “A mutually beneficial agreement was reached for the construction of a refinery in the border town between the Republic of Niger and Katsina State, Nigeria, and a crude oil pipeline from the Republic of Niger to the new refinery. Definitive bilateral and technical agreements to be signed in coming days,” the note said.
The ministry further explained that the refinery project would also include a crude oil pipeline that is expected to come from Niger Republic, indicating the plant would be fed crude oil from Niger.
To actualise this, the ministry stated that both countries set up a high level technical committee between them to develop a strategy that would be used to undertake the project.
On the outcome of the meeting Kachikwu had with Issoufou and Gado, the Nigerian minister expressed hope that the project which President Muhammadu Buhari conceived two years ago with Issoufou would now proceed for completion.
(Thisday)
