The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL) and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) have agreed to increase cooperation, with EGPC vowing to contribute more to development projects in Nigeria – according to a statement from Egypt’s State Information Service.

The statement, made September 20, noted that the agreement had been made following positive maintenance results from Egyptian Projects Operation and Maintenance (EPROM), which had been working with Nigerian refineries, adding that the expertise and capabilities of Egyptian companies paired well with developing projects on the African continent.

The meeting itself, taking place with EGPC’s CEO Salah Abdel Karim and an NNPCL delegation, fell within Egypt’s framework of carrying out the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources' strategy to improve regional cooperation and partnerships.

Regarding the deal, Abdel Karim said: “Fruitful cooperation between petroleum entities with long-standing experience in both countries achieves mutual benefit,” adding: “The Nigerian delegation's request to expand reliance on Egyptian petroleum expertise confirms the extent of development witnessed in Egypt.” The official continued to note that Nigeria’s petroleum sector could rely on the expertise of “petroleum project design, implementation, management, and maintenance companies such as ENPPI, Petrojet, EPROM, and the Egyptian Maintenance Company (San Masr),” in supporting continued expansion of the country’s oil sector.

In support of the initiative, the NNPCL’s executive vice president of downstream, Mumuni Dagazau showcased the progress made by Egyptian companies such as EPROM at Nigerian refining projects, focusing primarily on their work at the country's three moribund refineries, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.

Dagazau continued to say that there would be opportunities to “increase cooperation in training technical personnel, transferring expertise, and operating refineries, as well as utilizing Egyptian expertise in establishing natural gas stations and converting vehicles to run on gas.”

Egypt’s push to continue its involvement in Nigeria’s ailing refineries comes amid a report from The Punch that revealed the country’s state-owned plants were “rotting away” despite having had more than $3bn invested in their rehabilitation.

Following visits to the plants, correspondents from The Punch highlighted that refinery workers at Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt often started and ended work at “any time” as they had little to do during the day, with their refineries continuing to lie dormant. The NNPCL’s goal to rehabilitate the plants is now under investigation by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is questioning the company’s previous leadership, as well as any contractors involved.