Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum has been on a two-day visit to Benin since Monday 13 March. On the agenda of the discussions with his Beninese counterpart Patrice Talon were security issues and above all, economic issues, in particular the construction of the Niger-Benin export pipeline.
The main concern at the heart of this meeting between the two heads of state is the economy. Indeed, a project to build a pipeline between the two countries was launched in 2019. With a total length of 1980 km, 675 km of which is on Beninese territory, and considered to be the longest in Africa, the pipeline is intended to link the oil wells of the Agadem field in the far east of Niger to the Beninese port of Sèmè, in the south of Benin, from where Nigerien crude will be evacuated for the first time.
At a press conference on Monday, the two presidents spoke of the rich strategic partnership between the two countries, particularly in the economic and commercial fields. “The working session was more technical than political, we talked very little about security,” said the President of Benin. As much as President Talon affirms that ‘the autonomous port of Benin is also the port of Niger’, President Bazoum insists that ‘Niger’s oil has become Benin’s oil’. “I decided to make this visit to Benin to reiterate to President Talon and the Beninese people Niger’s commitment to ensure that our two countries’ economies are more complementary than ever,” the Nigerien head of state added.
Niger is a major client of the port of Cotonou, and its transporters use the corridor to transport their goods. It is a strategic port that serves as an exit for the sale of Nigerien products and through which Nigerien mineral resources are transported to the outside world. “We have decided that we evacuate our oil from the port of Cotonou, this commitment is irrevocable and we will always ensure that our relationship is harmonious and beneficial to our two countries,” reassured Mohamed Bazoum. All this also benefits Benin, because “the passage of oil will generate income for the Beninese state in terms of royalties and this is very important,” said Patrice Talon.
Security issues
On the security front, the two heads of state were satisfied with the efforts of the defence and security forces of both countries in the fight against jihadism.
On the security front, the two heads of state were satisfied with the efforts of the defence and security forces of both countries in the fight against jihadism.
President Mohamed Bazoum agrees. “I would like to express my appreciation for the work done by our defence and security services. We have an agreement. But in the meantime, the most important thing is what we could do in a practical way, and what we have done so far has adequately met our expectations and we have encouraged our security and defence forces to continue this cooperation.
