Nairobi/Abuja - The Nigerian government decided in a special session late Friday to introduce drastic cuts to the national budget following a series of rebel attacks in the country.

Finance Minister Shamsuddeen Usman did not give any immediate details of the cuts, according to media reports on Saturday.

Rebels in the resource-rich Niger Delta have been attacking the facilities of oil companies and pipelines for months.

Oil production in the west African country, which is one of the largest oil exporters in the world, has dropped by 20 per cent as a result of the attacks.

Nigeria has also been hit by the dramatic drop in world oil prices, prompting the revision in next year's budget, which is due to be debated in parliament next week.

Rebels in the impoverished Niger Delta are fighting for a larger proportion of the oil wealth generated in the region. (dpa)