Oil min to visit Niger Delta

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu is set to visit the Niger Delta region on Thursday to meet representatives of militants and other stakeholders.

The minister said oil and economic development was necessary to fund projects in the delta, adding that a resumption of violence would be harmful to both sides. “We’re constrained by cash,” he told Reuters in an interview before the visit. “We’ve scurried around for some money just to begin the process.”

The Niger Delta Avengers called off their year-long ceasefire on Friday. Over the several months of its previous “Operation Red Economy” campaign, militants attacked oil facilities of Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil, lowering Nigeria’s oil production to 1.4 million bopd in May 2016. In response, the government has been holding negotiations with the Pan-Nigeria Delta Forum (Pandef), resulting in the government pledging a series of measures in August 2017.

“I am sure that like they did the last time, when they see a concrete action plan they would listen,” the minister added.