🇳🇪🇧🇯

Diplomatic tensions escalate as Benin President Patrice Talon rejects Niger’s proposal to use its port for oil exports, citing Niger’s refusal to cooperate. Two weeks after oil production commenced at Sémè Kraké in Benin, Talon criticized Niger’s approach, emphasizing the importance of formal cooperation.

Benin, a member of ECOWAS, previously faced threats of military action from the bloc following a coup in Niger. While ECOWAS sanctions prompted Niger to close its border with Benin, Porto-Novo later softened its stance and reopened the border. Talon links the normalization of trade relations to the opening of the Sémè port, crucial for the pipeline project linking Koulele in Niger to the port of Seme in Benin.

This pipeline, expected to produce 90,000 barrels per day, signifies Niger’s emergence as a significant regional oil producer, contrasting with its current output of 20,000 bpd from existing projects.