- EU encourages the Nigerian government to shore up its gas supplies.
- Oil exports on Russia’s Black Sea Coast have halted.
The European Union (EU) has urged Nigeria to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the present crisis in Europe to shore up gas supplies. With oil exports from a critical pipeline on Russia’s Black Sea Coast entirely halted last Wednesday, the United States and the EU quickly moved in by creating a task force committed to reducing dependence on Russian energy supplies.
According to The Sun Newspaper, the appeal for Nigeria’s intervention was made by Ambassador Samuela Isopi, during a courtesy call by EU Ambassadors to Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in Abuja last week. She appealed to Nigeria to step into that gas supply chain as an alternative to Russia, adding that the country must not allow the opportunity to pass it by.
Other ambassadors who spoke in support of strengthened economic and diplomatic relations between the EU and Nigeria were the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria Juan Sell, Portuguese Ambassador Luis Barros, and Italian Deputy Head of Mission, Tarek Chazli.