Niger is set to supply 150 million liters of diesel to neighboring Mali as part of a new energy partnership signed on Tuesday. The diesel will be provided to Énergie du Mali (EDM-SA), Mali’s national energy company, which is struggling with significant debt and ongoing power shortages across the country.

The agreement was reached between Mali’s junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goïta, and Niger’s oil minister, Mahaman Moustapha Barke. Under the terms of the deal, Niger will sell the diesel at nearly half the usual rate, helping Mali to alleviate its frequent power cuts.

This partnership highlights Niger’s growing role as a regional energy player. In November, Niger inaugurated a pipeline that will transport crude oil to Benin, with extraction handled by China National Petroleum Corporation. Additionally, Niger announced in February its plans to supply diesel to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad, its partners in the Alliance of Sahel States. Niger aims to boost its oil production to 110,000 barrels per day, with 90,000 barrels earmarked for export.