Meltdown In Nigeria Is Affecting Neighbouring Countries - Benin President

The economic meltdown in Nigeria is affecting
neighbouring countries, the President of Benin Republic,
Patrice Talon, has said.
Talon who is in Nigeria on a one-day visit spoke at a joint
press briefing between him and his host, President
Muhammadu Buhari.
He lamented that the economic downturn in Nigeria was
gradually affecting his country and other nations in the
West African sub region.
Describing Nigeria as the engine room of West Africa, Talon
challenged Nigeria to begin to explore its non-oil
potentials to boost the country’s revenue profile and its
standing as a big brother in Africa.
Talon said he was looking forward to reactivatig the
existing bilateral relationship between Benin and Nigeria
especially in the areas of trade relations, economy, energy
development and education.
He pledged to partner Nigeria in dealing with the problem
of illicit trade affecting both countries.
Earlier, Buhari has said his administration was considering
the possibility of using modern technology to transform
gas into liquid form for easy export, especially to the
West- African sub-region.
The president also said Nigeria is making efforts to ensure
that the West African Gas Pipeline project becomes more
efficient to stabilise the energy sectors across the West
African sub-region.
Buhari said the government was doing everything possible
to stabilise the gas pipelines to enhance electricity supply
in Benin and other West African sub-region.
“The economy part of (our discussion) it is mainly energy,
making sure that the West African Gas pipeline is made
much more efficient. This government is making all the
efforts it can to stabilise the situation because the
resources are there.
“The world knows that Nigeria has plenty of gas, what we
need to do is to stabilise the environment so that this gas
can be regularly pumped to the sub-region through the
infrastructure already in place.
“Also, the Nigerian energy mixed is not doing too badly as
gas can now be converted into liquid form gas, the
technology is now available, to transfers to Benin Republic
to run their power stations.
“The sad and long standing problem is the question of
using Benin as a transit camp to bring a lot of goods into
Nigeria.
“Under ECOWAS agreement, all we have to do is to remind
ourselves about our respective national commitments that
other than reall ECOWAS-originated commodities, we
should not allow it. If we get strict on that, I think Nigerian
industries would benefit from ECOWAS agreements,’’ he
said.