SONIDEP
SONIDEP (, literally: Nigerien Petroleum Products Company) is a parastatal corporation in Niger. Founded by government decree in 1977, SONIDEP is responsible for the importation, transportation, storage, refining and marketing of petroleum products in Niger. It operates retail sales stations for automobiles and fuel oil throughout the nation. Recently, the government of Niger has considered privatizing SONIDEP, with the assistance of the World Bank, but the company has remained state-owned due to a lack of interest among investors, and plans for privatization are now "on hold indefinitely."