The Niger State Government has extended a formal invitation to the Dangote Group and other private sector investors to enter crude oil exploration at the Bida Basin — an inland sedimentary basin in north-central Nigeria that state officials believe holds substantial untapped hydrocarbon potential capable of diversifying both the state’s revenue base and Nigeria’s upstream production geography.
The Commissioner for Trade, Investment, Industry, and Private Sector Development, Aminu Takuma, said the state government is actively working with private sector operators under its One-Stop-Shop investment model to unlock the basin’s crude oil potential. He stated that Niger State intends to retain only a minimal stake in any resulting venture through a Joint Venture-Public Private Partnership arrangement — a deliberate structure designed to place commercial decision-making firmly in private hands while the state preserves a revenue interest in discoveries.
The Regional Director and Senior Adviser to Aliko Dangote, Fatima Wali Abdurrahman, described the Dangote Group as a natural partner for Niger State, pointing to the company’s existing investment in rice processing in the Wushishi area as evidence of a deepening and productive relationship. She praised Governor Umaru Bago for the introduction of investor-friendly policies aimed at driving economic growth and industrial development across the state, and confirmed the Dangote Group’s commitment to sustaining and strengthening its partnership with Niger State. The Dangote Group served as the major sponsor of the Niger National Trade Fair in Minna at which the discussions took place.
Source: punchng.com