The pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in neighbouring Niger Republic have started reducing following the supply of the commodity from Nigeria.
Multiple residents in border communities and insider security sources familiar with the development confirmed that hundreds of petrol tankers have started making their way from Nigeria to Niger Republic.
Recall that on March 16, 2025, it was reported that Niger Republic had turned to Nigeria for help after being hit by fuel shortage. The West African country reached out to Nigeria despite months of diplomatic tensions and hostile rhetoric.
The report stated that a delegation of senior officials of the military junta travelled down to Abuja to meet Federal Government representatives. At the end of the deliberation, 300 trucks of PMS were reportedly approved for delivery to the country.
A senior government official had told reporters that the deal was approved with the hope of using it as a “strategic bargaining tool” in ongoing negotiations with Niger.
The source, who spoke in confidence due to the diplomatic nature of the matter, had said, “We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation, as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.
“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens.”
Commenting on the development on Sunday, multiple residents in border communities and security sources stated that a lot of trucks had been moving petrol from Nigeria to Niger Republic.
The Nigeria Customs Service could not confirm this, stating that it was a diplomatic issue. But insider security sources confirmed it, a development that led to the reduction in the prices of petrol from about N10,000/litre which it sold last week in the Niger Republic to around N5,000/litre on Sunday.
Our correspondent gathered that the fuel situation in the foreign nation was gradually returning to normal.
A resident of Agadez, Faruku Lawali, in a telephone interview on Sunday, said though there were still queues at the filling stations, the situation had improved significantly when compared to what was seen at stations a few days ago.
He commended the Nigerian government for not abandoning the Republic of Niger when it mattered most.
“The situation has improved very well when compared to what we experienced the last few days and weeks. There is an improvement in the supply of the product in the country now. I learned our leader here held a meeting with the Nigerian government which later resulted in the supply of the products to the country.
“The support and supply of fuel has helped us in no small way and we appreciate the government for that, honestly. We the citizens commend and celebrate our neighbour, the people, and the government of Nigeria for their support,” Lawali said.
