Niger’s Prime Minister Mahamane Lamine Zeine is set to address African Energy Week 2025 in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3 (2025), unveiling plans to expand Niger’s oil and gas exports through strengthened upstream investments and regional partnerships. His appearance underscores Niger’s ambitions to become a significant oil exporter on the continent.
Since the commissioning of the 1,950 km Niger–Benin pipeline in May 2024, Niger has successfully transported more than 14 million barrels of crude to the Atlantic, a remarkable development for a country that previously exported no crude. The long pipeline, built and operated by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), enabled Niger to reduce reliance on domestic refining, which has been capped at 20,000 barrels per day, and enter global markets.
Domestically, Niger’s production currently stands at approximately 20,000 bpd, all drawn from the Agadem Rift Basin. However, recent exploratory success signals a strong upside. CNPC-backed efforts in the Kafra block yielded two exploration wells, KFR‑1 and KFRN‑1, unearthing reserves of 168 million and 100 million barrels, respectively. This strategic discovery comes as a memorandum of understanding with Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach aims to deepen cooperation in exploration, refining, petrochemicals, and distribution. The MoU also anticipates construction of a southern refinery in Dosso, with initial capacity pegged at 30,000 bpd, expandable to 100,000 bpd.
Private players are also deepening their footprint. Savannah Energy, holding interests across nearly 50% of the Agadem basin, has reported 35 million barrels of 2C resources in its R3 East block and an additional 90 million barrels of unrisked prospects, with five wells drilled so far. The company aims to raise its output by 5,000 bpd through sustained exploration and development activities.
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These developments arrive amidst increasing geopolitical shifts. Political frictions had previously led Niger to suspend pipeline operations, accusing Benin of resource unfairness and even halting exports. Since November 2023’s military coup, resource nationalism has intensified, with Ouagadougou pushing for domestic labor dominance in extractive industries. Despite the diplomatic turbulence, petroleum exports persisted, albeit intermittently, demonstrating the infrastructure’s resilience .
Niger’s strategic presence at AEW 2025 follows early 2024’s $400 million crude sales agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. This deal reflects the government’s active pivot toward securing long-term buyers while diversifying its partnerships. At AEW, the narrative will extend beyond production, Prime Minister Zeine is expected to highlight the pipeline’s regional benefits, particularly how it enables Niger to leverage its 90,000 bpd export capacity and attract upstream investments.
This moment comes when AEW’s role as a major platform, engaging governments, investors, operators, and financiers — is at its peak. The event’s convening power coincides with global shifts in energy policy and African efforts to assert greater control over natural resources.
While the pipeline’s capacity is 110,000 bpd, regional tensions persist. Border closure episodes and rebel attacks have paused exports in the past. Economic projections suggest that pipeline exports could significantly contribute to Niger’s fiscal stability, but this requires diplomatic normalization with transit nations and security guarantees.
Niger’s strategy points to a broader trend in Africa: landlocked producers are increasingly linking natural resources to regional value chains and export infrastructure. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and Nigeria’s push for domestic refining are other regional echoes of this model . Notably, such exports promise earnings that, if well-managed, can finance climate adaptation, renewable power, and development — aligning with Africa’s dual goals of economic growth and responsible energy transition.
AEW provides a key backdrop for Niger to position itself as a reliable energy partner. If Prime Minister Zeine can articulate a coherent roadmap — covering upstream expansion, refinery development, governance frameworks, and social investment — Niger could secure deeper international finance and improve its integration into Africa’s energy economy.
