Niger engages 500 national companies to boost local production in the oil sector
Written by: Ayman Ragab
The government of Niger is seeking to strengthen the presence of national companies in the oil sector by involving about 500 local companies in a workshop launched in the capital, Niamey, with the aim of activating the local content policy and linking national companies with sector operators, within a new legal framework that regulates their participation in oil activities.
Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Al-Amin Zein opened the workshop, which is being hosted by the capital Niamey, in the presence of representatives of local companies, banking institutions, law firms, notaries, accountants, as well as relevant government agencies.
Local content policy in the oil industry
During the opening, a ministerial committee comprising the ministers of petroleum, finance, trade, vocational training and justice reviewed the most prominent challenges and mechanisms related to the implementation of the local content policy in the oil industry, with a focus on enhancing the contribution of Nigerian companies to activities related to the sector.
The government confirmed that the participation of local companies was previously done informally, but it will now be subject to a clear legal framework, after the adoption of a decree on local content in the petroleum sector, to be the legislative basis regulating the relationship between oil companies and national companies.
The workshop is scheduled to include a series of presentations and working sessions among participants, as authorities look to establish new partnerships between local companies and oil companies operating in Niger, thereby strengthening the role of the national private sector in the oil industry and supporting economic development.
