Oil export workers at the Seme port in Benin holding Benin, Chinese, and Niger flags. Image from Présidence du Benin. Free to use. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
This article was submitted as part of the Global Voices Climate Justice Fellowship, which pairs journalists from Sinophone and Global Majority countries to investigate the effects of Chinese development projects abroad.
Following the discovery of significant oil reserves at the Agadem site in northeastern Niger, Niger and Benin agreed to build a pipeline to facilitate the transport of crude oil from the Agadem oil site to the port of Seme Kpodji in southern Benin in early 2020. By the end of 2023, the 1,980-kilometer pipeline, with nine reservoir stations along the route, was completed.
A map of the oil pipeline stretching from eastern Niger to the coast of Benin. Screenshot from YouTube.
The work was financed and carried out by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), one of the top national oil companies in China, at an estimated cost of USD 4.5 billion. The pipeline has been operational since early 2024 and CNPC is currently transporting around 90,000 barrels a day, with plans to eventually ramp up production to 110,000 barrels a day.
From the Agadem site in Niger, the oil is loaded onto Chinese tankers from the port of Cotonou in Benin. As shown by this publication on the Beninese government's X account at the time of the first loading:
🇧🇯🇳🇪 « Le pipeline Bénin-Niger est un projet géant. Nous avons démarré le chargement du premier navire le 17 Mai 2024 à 18h 30 et nous avons fini ce dimanche 19 mai à 1h du matin avec 1.000.000 de barils de pétrole brut à bord. Nous sommes fiers du succès de l'opération » pic.twitter.com/YUO2LKt4Rh
— Gouvernement du Bénin 🇧🇯 (@gouvbenin) May 19, 2024
🇧🇯🇳🇪 “The Benin-Niger pipeline is a giant project. We started loading the first vessel on May 17, 2024 at 6:30 pm and finished this Sunday, May 19, at 1 am with 1,000,000 barrels of crude oil on board. We are proud of the success of the operation.”
— Gouvernement du Bénin 🇧🇯 (@gouvbenin) May 19, 2024
While all the parties involved, notably Niger, Benin, and China, stand to benefit from this pipeline, the gains are not necissarily equal throughout society. In Niger, the benefits accrue primarily to the Nigerien military regime, with many low-income and rural residents saying the pipeline has negatively impacted their lives.
Benin, for its part, presents itself as a transit country, allowing the passage of Niger's oil in return for commissions it receives from China, more than CFA 300 billion (more than USD 495 million) for the first 20 years of operation. In Benin, the project will generate over 3,000 jobs.
For China, the project is part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which seeks to extend its influence through development projects in Global Majority countries. Through this investment, China gains on several fronts, including access to a large reserve of oil resources, substantial revenue, and a stronger economic presence in Africa.
However, the construction of such a large pipeline — the longest in Africa — has caused collateral damage along the way. Local populations in communities, villages, and towns along the pipeline route have yet to benefit economically from the project and are facing environmental destruction that can have long-term impacts on their livelihoods.
Environmental impact on local populations
According to testimonies from community members along the pipeline route, as well as workers who assisted with the project in Niger, the installation of the pipeline led to the cutting down of trees and damage to biodiversity. This has significantly impacted local populations — particularly farmers and ranchers who have seen their lands fail due to the construction. A former communal authority explains to Global Voices via WhatsApp:
Il y a une dizaine de villages qui sont traversés par le pipeline. Le pipeline a traversé les différents champs de ces paysans. On remarque l’impact négatif direct qui est la dégradation des terres. Les paysans sèment, mais les récoltes ne sont plus au rendez-vous. La pollution de l’environnement est palpable. Les espaces verts où les troupeaux allaient pour brouter de l'herbes disparaissent.
There are about ten villages crossed by the pipeline. The pipeline passes through the various fields of these farmers. The direct negative impact is land degradation. Farmers are sowing, but the crops are no longer growing. Environmental pollution is palpable. The green spaces where herds used to graze are disappearing.
Because of the complicated security situation in Sahel, some media professionals and NGOs in the region keep quiet about sensitive issues out of fear. In this context, environmental organizations in Niger have largely declined to comment on the situation. These NGOs cite a number of reasons, including the sensitivity of the subject and security concerns, to justify their silence on the environmental consequences of the project.
The Niger-Benin pipeline will cross a variety of landscapes, including Benin’s Savannahs, forests, swamps, coastline, and more. All images CC BY-SA 4.0 and 2.0. Made by Global Voices via Canva.
On the Beninese side, an environmental impact study carried out by the Agence béninoise de l'environnement (ABE) at the start of the project highlighted the diverse ecosystems and communities that would be impacted:
(…) Il traverse plusieurs écosystèmes très diversifiés constitués de savane arborée, savane boisée, forêts claires et denses, de plans et cours d'eau, de marécages et spécifiquement deux domaines protégés (forêt de Gougoun et forêt de Dogo) et de zone côtière. La construction et l‘exploitation du pipeline sur le territoire du Bénin impactera plus de 602 148 habitants dont 50,5 % sont des femmes répartis dans 136 villages et quartiers.
(…) It crosses several highly diversified ecosystems consisting of wooded savannah, open and dense forests, water bodies and streams, swamps, and specifically two protected areas (Gougoun forest and Dogo forest) and coastal zones. The construction and operation of the pipeline on Benin territory will impact more than 602,148 inhabitants, 50.5 percent of whom are women, spread across 136 villages and neighborhoods.
Part of the Niger-Benin oil pipeline being constructed. Screenshot from YouTube.
In this context, Joséa Dossou Bodjrenou, President of the National Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Benin, explains to Mongabay how the pipeline has reduced biodiversity in the region:
Des mammifères, plusieurs oiseaux ainsi que des reptiles font partie des espèces menacées. La biodiversité connaîtra également une régression du fait du déplacement de l’habitat, de la fragmentation des forêts et de la déforestation.
Mammals, several birds, and reptiles are among the threatened species. Biodiversity will also decline as a result of habitat displacement, forest fragmentation, and deforestation.
In its preliminary report, the EBA also noted that the project has led to the loss of over 1,900,000 trees and will continue to generate significant pollution and waste. Some of the risks include:
Soil degradation and pollution; Pollution from crude oil leaks, ruptures, and/or spills; pollution from effluent from stations in water bodies and watercourses; Production of 73.5 tonnes of solid waste during the operating phase and 637 tonnes during the construction phase; destruction of cultural heritage by pipeline construction and siting activities.
While China remains a key player in the development and operation of this pipeline, it is less involved in mitigating the impacts on local populations.
As far as compensation is concerned, Félix Bandjou, village chief of Kraké Daho, located in southeastern Benin, tells Mongabay that the Beninese government has offered the victims whose land was taken over a remittance of CFA 2,350 (less than USD 4) per square meter.
How is China mitigating the issue?
Has the Chinese company acknowledged its share of responsibility for the environmental damage suffered by local populations? There is a sharp contrast between Chinese state media narratives and the realities on the ground. While local communities in Niger and Benin are grappling with land degradation, deforestation, and pollution, Chinese media reports emphasize economic growth and engineering triumphs — glossing over environmental and social consequences.
2021年7月25日，尼日尔-贝宁原油外输管道(尼日尔)项目试验段在尼日尔境内津德尔地区打火开焊，全长70公里。试验段开工以来，管道局在西非原油管道(尼日尔)股份有限公司业主的大力支持下，充分发扬“八三”精神和管道优良传统，面对雨季，沙尘，酷暑，蚊虫等自然环境带来的压力，项目部多次召开专题讨论会，制定出了一系列行之有效的管理办法。
On July 25, 2021, welding began on the trial section of the Niger-Benin Crude Oil Export Pipeline (Niger) Project in the Zinder region of Niger. The section spans 70 kilometers. Since breaking ground, and with strong support from the project owner, the West African Oil Pipeline (Niger) Company Limited, the construction team has upheld the hardworking tradition of the pipeline industry. Despite the challenges posed by the rainy season, sandstorms, extreme heat, and insects, the project team held a series of focused planning meetings and implemented effective management strategies.
Another article, “Ship Carrying One Million Barrels of Nigerien Crude Finally Sets Sail — A Sign of China’s Growing Mediation Capabilities” (载百万桶尼日尔原油船只终于出港！“中国调解技能不断提升”) by the known nationalist propaganda mouthpiece Guancha Network, published May 21, 2024, presents a similar narrative.
Likewise, the primary investor, CNPC, has seldom addressed the environmental consequences of its project. This CNPC press release, for instance, frames the Niger-Benin pipeline as a monumental achievement, celebrating the company’s ability to navigate harsh desert conditions, extreme temperatures, and complex cross-border logistics. Yet, it makes no mention of the impact on local ecosystems, displaced communities, or the loss of agricultural land. The article portrays the pipeline as a symbol of China’s technological and economic prowess, reinforcing a “win-win cooperation” narrative that is a hallmark of BRI projects.
Most Chinese-language media reports or articles mentioning projects in Niger and Benin show almost the same results. Local communities and people’s benefits are completely omitted, not to mention issues like deforestation and its impact on the local ecology.
