Latest news with #SahabiOumarou
Business Insider
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Junta-led Niger plans to reduce Chinese oil workforce
Niger's junta-led government has requested the departure of several Chinese nationals working on oil projects, a move expected to impact dozens of employees and further strain relations with Beijing. Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou instructed the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its joint venture refinery, SORAZ, to terminate contracts of expatriate employees who have been in the country for over four years, Reuters reported. In a letter dated May 21 to SORAZ, Oumarou signalled some flexibility, noting that exceptions could be made depending on the importance of specific staff. Departure decisions, he said, would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. However, in an earlier letter to CNPC dated May 20, Oumarou declined a request for a private meeting with the company's CEO and accused CNPC of not complying with local laws. This follows a March decision by Niger's military government to expel three senior Chinese executives from the country's oil sector. The officials, who held key roles at CNPC, the West African Oil Pipeline Company (WAPCo), and the SORAZ refinery, were removed amid tensions over wage gaps between foreign staff and their lower-paid local counterparts. Since the expulsions, CNPC has been seeking to open dialogue with Nigerien authorities, but tensions remain high. West African militaries assert resource sovereignty Military-led governments across West Africa are increasingly asserting control over their natural resources in a bid to boost local employment and claim a greater share of resource profits. In Niger, the junta has taken several bold steps since seizing power, including scrapping military cooperation agreements with the U.S. and France and taking control of the Somair uranium mine previously operated by French nuclear company Orano. Similar developments have unfolded in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, where military regimes have turned to legal and regulatory tools to consolidate power over valuable commodities like gold.
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Niger plans to cut Chinese oil workers, documents show
NIAMEY, May 23 (Reuters) - Niger has asked that some Chinese employees working on oil projects leave the country, documents seen by Reuters on Friday showed, a move that could affect dozens and further strain bilateral ties. Similar to other West African countries, junta-led Niger has been trying to assert greater control over its natural resources and promote local employment. Oil minister Sahabi Oumarou has asked the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its refinery SORAZ to terminate the contracts of expatriates who have been working in Niger for more than four years, two letters showed. In a letter to SORAZ dated May 21, Oumarou indicated there would be some flexibility, saying he understood the need to keep certain employees in the country and that departure decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis. Yet in a separate letter to CNPC, dated May 20, Oumarou said he would decline a private meeting with the company's CEO who had asked to discuss tensions between the two sides. In that letter, Oumarou also accused CNPC of non-compliance with local regulations. The Chinese foreign ministry didn't immediately reply to a Reuters' request for comment. In March, Niger expelled three Chinese oil executives in a dispute over disparities between the salaries of expatriate staff and lower-paid local workers. Following the executives' dismissal, CNPC's top officials have been trying to meet with the government for negotiations, a source close to the company said. If the decision described in the May 20 and May 21 letters is applied, dozens of Chinese workers will have to go home, the source said.
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Niger expelled Chinese oil execs over local-expatriate pay gap, minister says
NIAMEY, March 20 (Reuters) - Niger expelled three Chinese oil executives in a dispute over disparities between the salaries of expatriate staff and lower-paid local workers, Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou said. Reuters reported last week that Niger's junta had ordered three Chinese officials working in the oil sector to leave within 48 hours. The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here. The officials were Niger-based directors of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the West African Oil Pipeline Company (WAPCo) and the joint venture oil refinery SORAZ. "We are not satisfied with the way in which wealth is distributed between the state of Niger and the partner," Oumarou told journalists on Wednesday. The average salary of a Chinese employee in Niger last year was $8,678 per month, compared with $1,200 for an employee from Niger in the same post, he said. There was also a high concentration of expatriates in managerial positions, while Nigeriens tended to fill less significant roles as operators or labourers, he said. There had been several attempts to address the issue, the minister added, but the disparities had persisted, prompting the expulsions. "We are still always open to discussions," he told the press briefing. WAPCo and CNPC did not immediately reply to requests for comment. SORAZ could not be reached for comment. Several governments in the restive Sahel region - including Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali - have been seeking to assert greater control over their resources. Niger's partnership with China began in 2008 with a $5 billion agreement to develop oil in east Niger. Last year, the junta-led West African country and CNPC signed a $400 million memorandum of understanding for shipments of oil in the Agadem oilfield.
