Senegal and Nigeria Strengthen Energy Cooperation as Ministerial Visit Marks New Era of African Collaboration
Senegal and Nigeria are enhancing their bilateral energy partnership following a significant working visit by Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Birame Soulèye Diop, along with representatives from the national oil company, Petrosen, to Abuja this week. The Senegalese delegation engaged with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). This meeting resulted in a commitment to bolster cooperation across various sectors, reflecting a growing resolve among African producers to collaborate on refining, policy development, gas monetization, and national oil company (NOC) collaboration.
Significance of the Collaboration
The African Energy Chamber (AEC), which represents the interests of the African energy sector, has endorsed this collaboration. The AEC emphasized that stronger ties among African producers are crucial at a time when the continent is striving to attract investments, build infrastructure, and expand intra-African energy trade. Enhanced cooperation between ministries and NOCs like Petrosen and NNPC is expected to facilitate knowledge sharing, strengthen institutional capacity, and accelerate the development of strategic projects across the oil and gas value chain, from upstream production to refining and gas commercialization.
This partnership also aligns with ongoing efforts to operationalize the Africa Energy Bank, with Senegal already having made its capital contribution, positioning itself as an active participant in financing African energy initiatives.
Regional Implications and Future Prospects
The collaboration comes at a critical juncture for West Africa, as both Senegal and Nigeria aim to expand their upstream and downstream markets. For Senegal, working with Nigeria could catalyze the establishment of stronger governance structures and streamlined licensing procedures, enhancing its attractiveness for foreign investment while scaling production and boosting regional trade. Recent achievements have positioned Senegal as a viable producing market, showcasing its potential for scalable investments.
Senegal has initiated operations at the Sangomar oilfield and the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG development, set to commence in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Current production at Sangomar has stabilized at approximately 100,000 barrels per day (bpd), yielding 36.1 million barrels in 2025 alone. Between February 2025 and February 2026, GTA is expected to export 24 LNG cargoes, along with 1.6 million barrels of condensate marketed internationally.
Looking ahead, Senegal plans to expand both facilities while advancing the Yakaar-Teranga offshore project. Additionally, Petrosen has launched a $100 million exploration campaign targeting underexplored onshore basins, aiming to identify new crude discoveries by late 2026 through seismic acquisition, basin modeling, and exploratory drilling programs.
Nigeria’s Ambitious Energy Goals
Nigeria, recognized as Africa’s largest oil producer, is pursuing ambitious production targets of around 2 million bpd while simultaneously expanding its gas and refining sectors. To achieve these objectives, Nigeria has initiated a 2025 licensing round featuring 50 frontier and one deepwater block, targeting $10 billion in investments over the next decade. The country is also re-engaging international oil companies (IOCs) in deepwater exploration, with Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell advancing offshore projects. The NNPC is pursuing an aggressive upstream drive, aiming for $30 billion in investments by 2030.
In the downstream sector, Nigeria is looking to expand the capacity of the Dangote Refinery from 650,000 bpd to 1.4 million bpd. The issuance of Permits to Access Flare Gas to 28 awardees in December 2025 is anticipated to unlock $2 billion in gas investments. This cooperation with Senegal aligns with Nigeria’s broader strategy of strengthening African energy markets while expanding regional trade in both crude and refined products.
A Shift Towards Collaboration
The strengthening of ties between Senegal and Nigeria signals a broader shift within Africa’s energy sector, where collaboration is increasingly viewed as essential for unlocking investment, developing infrastructure, and ensuring long-term energy security. By working together on refining, gas monetization, policy development, and energy financing, Senegal and Nigeria are setting a precedent for how African energy markets can thrive through partnership, integration, and shared strategic objectives.
Source: www.zawya.com
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Published on 2026-04-02 21:43:00 • By the Editorial Desk
