ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 25. Nigeria has
expressed interest in exploring the supply of Kazakhstani oil for
processing at Nigeria's oil refineries, during a meeting Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alibek
Kuantyrov and Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri,
Trend reports
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Alibek Kuantyrov, held meetings in Abuja, Nigeria, with the
leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Ministry of Petroleum of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These meetings took place as part
of the official visit of the Kazakhstani delegation and were aimed
at expanding economic and political cooperation between the two
countries.
During the meeting with Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, issues of cooperation in the fields of oil exploration, production, transportation, and refining were discussed. Kazakhstan and Nigeria expressed interest in exploring the supply of Kazakhstani oil for refining at Nigeria's refineries. The Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources confirmed a high level of interest in cooperation, noting that despite being one of the largest oil producers in the world, Nigeria continues to need additional volumes of raw materials to meet domestic needs and increase oil product exports.
As part of the visit, a meeting was also held with Nigeria's Minister of Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo. During the talks, the parties discussed opportunities for cooperation in the gas sector, including natural gas supplies, gas processing technologies, and the potential participation of Kazakhstani companies in the development of Nigeria's gas infrastructure. The Minister emphasized that Nigeria is interested in transitioning to more environmentally friendly technologies, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving a sustainable economy.
In a conversation with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, D. Ahmed, the prospects for strengthening cooperation at international platforms, activating dialogue within the framework of the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other multilateral formats were discussed. Additionally, the parties discussed issues of economic cooperation, emphasizing the importance of enhancing direct interaction between the business communities of the two countries.
Alibek Kuantyrov emphasized the importance of developing ties with Nigeria, noting that the meeting between the presidents of the two countries in Abu Dhabi in January 2025 set a high pace for cooperation and defined promising areas for collaboration. "To strengthen trade relations, we propose establishing contacts between the business sectors of Kazakhstan and Nigeria, organizing mutual trade missions, and jointly addressing issues and challenges related to bilateral trade. The development of these ties will create new opportunities for business partnerships and enhance economic cooperation between our countries," said Alibek Kuantyrov.
At the meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria, Nura Abba Rimi, investment opportunities in the mining industry, particularly in the field of mineral exploration and processing, were discussed. The Kazakh side expressed interest in jointly applying innovative technologies for raw material processing and creating joint production capacities.
The Kazakhstani side presented a list of over 300 product items for export to Nigeria. Kazakhstan also expressed interest in directly importing cocoa beans from Nigeria. Possible trade corridors for transporting goods between the two countries were discussed, including three potential routes, the development of which is being carried out jointly with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport.
In addition, a meeting was held with the Managing Director of the "NEXIM Nigeria" bank, which finances the country's largest export and import operations. During the negotiations, an agreement was reached on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between "NEXIM Nigeria" and JSC "Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan."