Niger has expelled three Chinese oil executives following a dispute over the significant wage gap between expatriate staff and local workers, according to Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou.
The three expelled officials were directors of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the West African Oil Pipeline Company (WAPCo), and the joint venture oil refinery SORAZ. Last week, Reuters reported that the junta had ordered the executives to leave within 48 hours.
Oumarou explained that the government was dissatisfied with how wealth was being distributed between Niger and its foreign partners. He highlighted that the average monthly salary for a Chinese employee in Niger last year was $8,678, while a local employee in the same role earned only $1,200. Additionally, there was a disproportionate number of expatriates in senior positions, while Nigeriens were primarily employed in lower-ranking roles.
Despite multiple efforts to resolve the issue, the pay disparities remained unchanged, prompting the expulsions. Oumarou emphasized that the government remained open to further discussions on the matter.
Requests for comment from WAPCo and CNPC went unanswered, and SORAZ could not be reached.
Niger’s move follows a broader trend in the Sahel region, where governments, including those in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, are seeking to assert greater control over their natural resources. Niger’s partnership with China began in 2008 with a $5 billion agreement to develop oil in the eastern part of the country. Last year, the junta and CNPC signed a $400 million memorandum of understanding for oil shipments from the Agadem oilfield.
