Oscarline Onwuemenyi
27 November 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – Nigeria has struck a deal to buy oil from neighbouring Niger Republic, having suffered huge setbacks in crude production due to the activities of militants.
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Kachalla Baru, said the Federal Government would build the 1,000 km pipeline from Agadam in Niger, to supply crude to the Kaduna refinery.
Baru, who inspected the refurbished Kaduna Refinery Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC), said high-level contacts had been made with Niger authorities on the possibility of importing crude from the country.
He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has made several contacts with the President of Niger Republic. We are talking with the Niger Ministry of Petroleum. We are also talking with the Chinese Company operating in Agadam.”
The more than 30 years old Kaduna refinery had been getting crude oil delivery from Niger Delta, through large scale pipeline from Warri.
The pipeline has been destroyed by rampaging Niger Delta militants who have continuously vandalised it each time it was repaired.
Dr. Baru said some investors had shown interest to build another refinery of 50,000 barrels per day capacity besides the Kaduna Refinery.
“We are convincing them to come and build side by side with the Kaduna refinery,” he said
Baru further disclosed that the proposed refinery would be located near the highly populated Kano, the commercial nerve centre of northern Nigeria.