Explosive Audit of the Niger-Benin Pipeline: Tiani Finally Opens Pandora’s Box!
The decision of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, under the chairmanship of Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, to conduct a comprehensive audit of the true cost of constructing the Niger-Benin pipeline is overdue, but welcome. This initiative finally reveals a realization in the face of a major economic scandal that seriously compromises the country’s sovereignty and squanders its resources for the benefit of dubious foreign interests.
Indeed, this pipeline, valued at a colossal $4 billion, raises multiple worrying questions. Built on a turnkey basis by the Chinese operator CNPCNP, this project is completely outside the control of the Nigerien government, which has no control over its design, monitoring, maintenance, or even the final quality of the delivered works. This situation is extremely worrying, as it deprives Niger of any effective transfer of skills and technical know-how, which are essential to the country’s medium- and long-term energy autonomy.
Even more seriously, the contract signed with CNPCNP remains scandalously opaque, blocking any transparency regarding Niger’s true financial commitments. The repayment method, exclusively in natural resources, evokes a modern and insidious form of economic exploitation that jeopardizes the future of future generations for the exclusive benefit of Chinese interests. This predatory management, facilitated by deliberately unclear contractual practices, raises serious questions of political accountability and governance. It is also shocking to learn that the funds raised for this gigantic project never transited through Nigerien banking institutions, remaining entirely housed in Chinese banks. This unusual practice not only deprives Niger of essential economic benefits but also dispossesses Nigerien banks of a major potential source of activity and growth. Conversely, other donors (the IMF and World Bank, for example) normally transfer their financing through the traditional channels of the BCEAO, thus allowing for transparent control and management by Nigerien nationals.
Faced with these alarming developments, the decision to conduct a thorough audit is more necessary than ever and must go beyond a simple accounting exercise to publicly expose the extent of the abuses and clearly identify all responsibilities. Niger cannot afford to remain silent in the face of such disastrous and compromising management. It is crucial that exemplary sanctions be considered against those who enabled this economic waste and this serious attack on national sovereignty.
This courageous approach by the government must therefore mark the beginning of a radical break with past practices and usher in a new era of accountability, absolute transparency, and the relentless defense of Niger’s best interests.