Nigeria Sees Prospects In Cooperation With Russia On Gas, Oil - Ambassador

Nigeria intends to use diplomatic channels to explore cooperation opportunities in gas and oil with Russia, Nigerian Ambassador to Moscow Abdullahi Shehu told Sputnik in his first interview since taking office

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2021) Nigeria intends to use diplomatic channels to explore cooperation opportunities in gas and oil with Russia, Nigerian Ambassador to Moscow Abdullahi Shehu told Sputnik in his first interview since taking office.

In the area of hydrocarbons, Nigeria and Russia have a lot in common, as both countries hold large natural gas reserves, which opens ample opportunity for cooperation, the ambassador noted.

"In these specific areas... we are going to use the diplomatic channels available to us to explore these opportunities for cooperation. There's a joint bilateral cooperation commission on technical matters between Nigeria and Russia and I believe that that (can be a) kind of very framework for cooperation," Shehu said.

Nigeria is also the largest oil producer in Africa and an active member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which can also serve to foster cooperation between Nigeria and Russia, he added.

In the end of November, a Russian delegation arrived in Nigeria with a fact-finding mission, during which the sides identified main areas of cooperation. Several Russia companies have already expressed interest in working in the oil and gas sector, where they can also share technology and experience with the Nigerian business, according to Shehu.

Regarding the issue of the impact of the use of fossil fuels on climate change, the Nigerian diplomat pointed out that most African nations are not yet developed enough to start a transition to renewable energy. He stressed that Nigeria and other countries on the continent "would expect that the more advanced countries would support the less developed countries to get to their own level of development so that we can move almost at the same speed mutually beneficial to each other."