Niger Republic is facing a severe PMS scarcity crisis, which has brought the country to a standstill. According to reports, the crisis has been ongoing for weeks, with the country struggling to cope with the shortage.
The PMS shortage, otherwise referred to as fuel shortage has had a significant impact on the country’s petrol stations. “Our tanks have been dry for three days. No-one can say when we’ll be resupplied,” grumbled Mohamed, manager of a petrol station on the outskirts of Niger Republic’s capital .
âYou see that taxi over there? The driver went around town and finally ran out of fuel here,â the manager, stated.
The fuel shortage has also affected the daily lives of Nigeriens. Frustrated citizens were reported to have been found walking through the streets carrying empty kegs and others pushing their motor bikes in search of the scarce premium motor spirit. The situation has become increasingly desperate, with many people struggling to access basic necessities.
Niger, which produces oil but refines only a little amount of it, had previously suffered PMS shortages but never to the current level of severity.
Following this, the state-owned Nigerien Company for Oil Products (Sonidep) revealed that the Soraz refinery in Zinder is the only refinery in the country, and it “can no longer satisfy domestic demand”, which has consistently increased for over a year now.
The PMS scarcity initially hit some of Niger’s towns before reaching the capital, Niamey, where many petrol stations now have little or nothing to sell. Motorists and motorbike riders waited patiently, at the few stations that still had fuel on Sunday.
Moussa Saidou said, “I’m hoping to get two litres of petrol to do some very urgent shopping,” Many people are struggling to access basic necessities, and the fuel shortage has only worsened the situation.
Seated on his motorbike, mason Issa Mahamadou could not hide his frustration and anger. He said, “I want to visit my work sites but I’ve no more fuel.”
Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert, disclosed that Niger Republic’s PMS crisis didn’t happen suddenly. He highlighted that it was the direct consequence of a disastrous confrontation between the ruling junta and Chinese oil companies, which have long dominated Niger’s petroleum sector.
The trouble started in March 2024, when China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) granted the Nigerien government a $400 million advance, using future crude oil deliveries as collateral. This deal was meant to aid Niger Republic manage with the overwhelming economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the July 2023 coup.
However, when it was time to repay the debt, the junta was unable to and rather than seeking a renegotiation, the military rulers decided to strong-arm China. In a move that surprsied industry insiders, they slammed an $80 billion tax demand on SORAZ (Zinder Refinery Company) despite the already existing $250 billion debt the state-owned Sonidep owed SORAZ .
When China refused to provide more loans, the junta retaliated by removing Chinese oil executives from Niger Republic and confiscating SORAZ’s bank accounts. Zagazola added that this careless decision backfired almost immediately as Niger’s entire petroleum sector, which is heavily dependent on Chinese expertise and investment, began to crumble.
The SORAZ refinery, the lifeline of Niger’s PMS supply, came to a halt, and PMS scarcity spread like wildfire. This crisis could not have come at a worse time. The Niger-Benin oil pipeline, a project designed to boost Niger’s crude exports to 100,000 barrels per day by 2025, was also at risk.
With Chinese engineers removed from the country and no feasible alternative in place, the junta’s decision put the country into economic uncertainty. For weeks, the military leadership hesitated to acknowledge the crisis publicly.
The state-controlled media was ordered to stay silent about the PMS shortage and the growing tension among Nigeriens, who were forced to buy petrol at ridiculous black-market prices.
As the situation worsened, the junta had no choice but to seek external help, even if it meant approaching Nigeria, the very country they had repeatedly criticized since the coup. Without any public notice, Niger quietly sent a delegation to Abuja, appealing for fuel supply.
Nigeria, notwithstanding the prolonged period of unfounded allegations, verbal insults, diplomatic rebuffs, and antagonism, once again stepped in to play the good neighborniger republic. It was gathered that the Nigerian Government approved the release of 300 fuel trucks, which immediately began crossing into Niger to ease the crisis.
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