Nigeria taps Kazakhstan for oil expertise and innovation

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and an OPEC member, has conveyed enthusiasm for obtaining expertise, know-how and engineering services in oil and gas from Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s top oil producer. The announcement came during a meeting between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov and the Ooni of Ife (traditional ruler in Nigeria) Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, as reported by Gov.kz.

The Nigerian side specifically emphasized its need for Kazakhstan’s state-of-the-art methods for oil and gas transportation — both by land and by sea. Potential partners also voiced their willingness to organize Kazakhstan-led training for the country’s specialists.

Akkenzhenov responded positively, noting that Kazakhstani companies have all the necessary capabilities and could participate in joint projects. He also emphasized that such cooperation would benefit Kazakhstan’s service sector and support its further expansion overseas.

This meeting is just one of several signs that Kazakhstan is stepping up its efforts to engage with African nations. In late May, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, which resulted in the signing of several agreements — including one concerning potential Rwandan beryllium supplies to Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer.

Among other developments in Africa, Kazakhstan resumed grain exports to Morocco in early May, ending a pause that had been in place since 2008.

Another notable example of cooperation between Kazakhstan and entities on the continent occurred in 2023. BAMIN, a subsidiary of Eurasian Resources Group, agreed to supply iron ore to British mining company Anglo American, the majority owner of De Beers, a well-known international corporation that specializes in diamond mining.