Why Nigeria Exports Power To Niger, Benin, Togo – Presidency

The Presidency has given reasons why Nigeria exports power to the West African countries of Niger Republic, Benin Republic and Togo.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu explained that Nigeria is in a “Multilateral Energy Sales Agreement” with the three West African countries over the Niger River.

It should be noted that Niger River, which runs from North to South and empties itself in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Nigerian coast, encompasses the three countries.

According to Shehu, the multilateral agreement entails that Nigeria would supply electricity to the three West African countries, while they, in return, avoid constructing dams on the river which feeds major power plants in the nation-Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba.

“Power exported to Niger, Benin and Togo based on Multilateral Energy Sales Agreement with the Government of Nigeria is on the basis that they would not dam the waters that feed our major power plants in Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba,” he said.

“The essence of said bilateral agreements, by which we give them power and they do not build dams on the River Niger means that Nigeria and her brotherly neighbours had avoided the unfolding situation of the Nile River between the sovereign states of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.”

Against a report by a national newspaper, alleging the trio of Benin, Niger and Togo owed a debt in power purchase to Nigeria to the tune of $81.48 billion, the presidential media aide said the actual total indebtedness of Niger to the country is $16 million, while Benin owes $4 million.

He described the report as hyperbolic and terribly misleading, stating that the figure quoted was far from accurate, out-dated and not reflective of the current reality.

He added that the overall cost of power generated and sold by Nigeria in the period covered by report was not anywhere close to what was mentioned by the paper.

“As of the last review in 2019, the amount of indebtedness to all three customers stood at $69 million, subsequent upon which several payments were made to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET). Much of this has been repaid by the debtor nations,” Shehu stated.

“As of today, Niger owes only $16 million and Benin, USD $ million, adding up to the Naira equivalent of about N1.2bn.”