The Niger State Government has called on the Dangote Group and other private sector investors to explore opportunities in crude oil exploration in the Bida Basin.
The appeal was made during the just-concluded Niger National Trade Fair in Minna, held from 13 to 23 May. The event featured a “Dangote Special Day” aimed at showcasing local products and strengthening industrial partnerships.
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Speaking during a fireside session at the event, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment, Industry and Private Sector Development, Aminu Takuma, said the state government was partnering with private sector operators under its One-Stop-Shop investment model to unlock the crude oil potential of the Bida Basin.
According to him, the state government intends to retain only a minimal stake in the venture through a Joint Venture-Public Private Partnership (JV-PPP) arrangement.
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Mr Takuma commended the Dangote Group for its industrialisation drive and the construction of what he described as the world’s largest single-train refinery.
He added that Niger State remains open to business and committed to implementing policies that will continue to attract investors across critical sectors of the economy.
On her part, Fatima Abdurrahman, Regional Director and Senior Adviser to Aliko Dangote, described the Dangote Group as a natural partner of Niger State, citing the company’s investment in rice processing in Wushishi.
She praised Governor Mohammed Bago for introducing investor-friendly policies aimed at driving economic growth and industrial development in the state.
According to her, the Dangote Group remains committed to sustaining and deepening its partnership with the Niger State Government.
Also present at the discussion panel were the commissioners for Homeland Security as well as Agriculture and Food Security.
The representative of the Emir of Minna, Umar Bakai, also attended the company’s Special Day event.
The Dangote Group was the major sponsor of the trade fair.
In recent months, the company has intensified efforts to expand its oil and gas exploration interests across Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Last month, Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced that it had recorded its first oil production from upstream assets and was preparing to begin pumping marketable crude in the coming weeks as part of efforts to secure feedstock supply for its refinery near Lagos.
The company is currently producing about 4,500 barrels per day from the Kalaekule field on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 72, following a delayed start-up in December 2025.
Production is projected to rise to 15,000 barrels per day within weeks, according to Olajumoke Ajayi, chief executive officer of West African Exploration and Production (WAEP), Dangote’s upstream joint venture.
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Dangote holds an 85 per cent stake in WAEP, which has a 45 per cent working interest in OML 71 and 72. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) holds the remaining stake, while First E&P operates the assets.
Earlier this month, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed during an interview with Nicolai Tangen, chief executive officer of the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, that the company plans to invest an additional $45 billion in refinery expansion, liquefied natural gas infrastructure and regional industrial projects.
Mr Dangote said the investment forms part of the company’s strategy to increase annual revenue to $100 billion, with a long-term target of reaching $200 billion by 2030.
