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☆ Africa's richest person just opened a $19 billion oil refinery to help Nigeria reduce fuel imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAfrica's richest person has opened one of the world's largest oil refineries in Nigeria. Aliko Dangote, the billionaire founder and chairman of the multinational conglomerate the Dangote Group, opened the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in a bid to help make Nigeria self-sufficient in fuel. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The $19 billion refinery, in the coastal city of Lekki, near Lagos, has suffered years of delays and setbacks, but it finally began production last week. This is something that the new Dangote refinery aims to change by eventually producing up to 650,000 barrels a day.

Persons: —, Aliko Dangote, Pius Utomi Ekpei, David Rubenstein, Dangote, Rafiq Raji, Raji, John Moore, Alhassan, Forbes, Rubenstein, Bill Gates, Gates, Aliko, Melinda Gates Organizations: Service, Dangote, Petroleum Refinery, Business, Dangote Petroleum, Center for Strategic, Studies, Africa, Bloomberg Global Business, West Africa's, Al, Azhar University, Dangote Cement, Bloomberg, Melinda Gates Foundation, English Premier League soccer, Arsenal Locations: Nigeria, Lekki, Lagos, AFP, New York, Nigerian, West, Egypt, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Africa’s biggest oil refinery has begun production in Nigeria, the company has said, ending a yearslong wait for a plant that analysts said Monday could boost refining capacity in a region heavily reliant on imported petroleum products. The $19 billion facility, which has a capacity to produce 650,000 barrels per day, has started to produce diesel and aviation fuel, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery company reported Saturday. As Nigeria’s first privately owned oil refinery, the project "is a game-changer for our country,” it added. Nigeria is one of Africa’s top oil producers but imports refined petroleum products for its own use. At least 40% of the oil products made there also would be available for export, the company said,.

Persons: —, Nigeria’s, Olufola, Aliko, Dangote Organizations: Dangote Petroleum Refinery, NNPC Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos

☆ Nigeria restores 275,000 bpd production at TotalEnergies JV
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo of TotalEnergies is seen at an electric vehicle fuelling station in the La Defense business district in Courbevoie near Paris, France, February 8, 2023. "The unions have agreed to suspend ongoing industrial action leading to immediate restoration of 275,000 barrels of oil per day production," NNPC said. NNPC did not disclose the nature of the dispute or the workers' demands, which had not been previously announced. Nigeria's oil production stood at 1.49 million barrels per day in October, according to data from the petroleum regulator, still below the 2023 budget target of 1.69 million bpd. That has led to fears that NNPC may struggle to supply crude to the 650,000 bpd Dangote Refinery, which has missed several targets to start production.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, NNPC, Camillus, Giles Elgood Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Rights, NNPC, Petroleum, Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, Nigerian Union of Petroleum, Natural Gas Workers, Dangote, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Courbevoie, Paris, France, Rights ABUJA, TotalEnergies

Meanwhile, the black market for smuggled subsidised Nigerian fuel in Togo and neighbouring Benin and Cameroon has collapsed, further reducing demand for shipments via Nigeria. Average monthly West African (WAF) gasoline imports fell by 56% in the second quarter compared with the first, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. "The key point is demand from West Africa is drying up," said Refinitiv Lead Oil Analyst Raj Rajendran. There may simply be a baseline decrease in demand," said Sparta Commodities gasoline market analyst Philip Jones-Lux. The challenge is coming from the new refineries in the Middle East that are expanding from their traditional East Africa market to now include West Africa and beyond even to the Americas," Rajendran said.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Jeremy Parker, Raj, naira, Philip Jones, Jones, Lux, Rajendran, Shadia, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Nigeria's, West, ARA, Reuters Graphics, Sparta Commodities, Thomson Locations: Africa, Nigeria, North America, West Africa, Europe, United States, Asia, Ukraine, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Sparta, Mideast, Russia, European, East Africa

☆ As Nigeria scraps fuel subsidy, a vibrant black market collapses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Desire Danga Essigue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Since Nigeria scrapped a state fuel subsidy on May 31, black market fuel vendors and commercial drivers in Cameroon, Benin and Togo who were heavily reliant on petrol smuggled from Nigeria have seen their businesses collapse. With supplies dwindling, queues have been forming at official petrol stations, where fuel is now competitively priced. "Supply has become scarce and customers think we're ripping them off with this high price, yet it's from Nigeria that prices have soared," said Perevet Dieudonne, a black market seller. The trade in black market fuel is so central to the local economy that authorities either turn a blind eye or are complicit. At Hilacondji, a border crossing between Togo and Benin, some black market fuel stalls were shut, while at others vendors waited among rows of empty plastic jerricans for potential deliveries.

Persons: Danga, turvy, Perevet Dieudonne, Ousmanou Mal Djoulde, Ayi Hilla, Alice Lawson, Pulcherie, Amindeh Blaise Atabong, Elisha Bala, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Estelle Shirbon, Bate Felix, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, CFA, Reuters, Dangote Petroleum, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Garoua, Cameroon, GAROUA, West, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Nigerian, West Africa, Dangote, Hilacondji, Africa, Cotonou, Pulcherie Adjoha

As part of those reforms, Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, plans to scrap an old scheme by which it swaps its crude for gasoline imports. We are getting our swaps crude cargo in October at the earliest," one major player said. Nigeria's falling oil production has exacerbated the country's fiscal problems, because it reduces the revenue that could be used to repay debt. PRIVATE IMPORTERSPaying for fuel deliveries with crude cargoes means there is less crude for Nigeria and NNPC's to export, and so less revenue. International monetary experts have long suggested Nigeria remove fuel subsidies and liberalise its foreign exchange to address its fiscal crisis.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Mele Kyari, Kyari, NNPC, Tinubu, Aliko, Nigeria's, Julia Payne, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Libby George, Dzirutwe MacDonald, David Evans Organizations: Reuters, NNPC, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, LONDON, Nigeria

ABUJA, June 4 (Reuters) - Nigeria's state oil firm NNPC Ltd is winding down crude swap contracts with traders and will pay cash for gasoline imports, its chief executive told Reuters, adding that private companies could begin importing petrol as soon as this month. And we now have an arm's-length process where we can pay cash for the imports," Kyari told Reuters in an interview late on Saturday. This is the first time NNPC has said it is terminating crude swap contracts. In its report detailing March crude oil loadings, NNPC also allocated crude to the swap contracts held by the consortiums. Nigeria has struggled to meet its OPEC oil quota of 1.742 million bpd due to grand oil theft and illegal refining.

Persons: Bola Tinubu's, Tinubu, NNPC, Kyari, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Camillus Eboh, Julia Payne, Susan Fenton Organizations: NNPC, Reuters, Dangote Refinery, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Ukraine, Dangote, NNPC, Vienna

☆ Nigeria: Fuel prices triple as new leader Tinubu ends subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a seemingly off-the-cuff remark during his inaugural speech Monday, Tinubu declared, “the fuel subsidy is gone,” adding that it was unsustainable. The last time the government tried to remove fuel subsidies in 2012, it sparked nationwide protests. Fuel subsidies are a drain on public finances and many argue that they have led to widespread abuse and corruption. Previous governments have tried unsuccessfully to remove the fuel subsidy, which has kept gas prices artificially low, although they have steadily climbed through the years. Fuel subsidies were not sustainable, but ending them “abruptly” without provision for economic and social consequences was “reckless,” he added.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, “, Joe Ajaero, Goodluck Jonathan, Sam Amadi, ” Amadi, NNPC Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, CNN, National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria’s Labour Congress, Occupy, Abuja School of Social, ” Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Africa’s, State, Occupy Nigeria

☆ Nigeria to commission Dangote refinery, crude supply a concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Despite being Africa's biggest oil producer, Nigeria imports petrol, diesel and processed petroleum products because its refineries were run down over the years. The refinery needs a constant supply of crude but Nigeria's oil production has been declining due to oil theft, vandalism of pipelines and underinvestment. Lower production would affect state-owned oil company NNPC Ltd's ability to fulfil an agreement to supply Dangote refinery with 300,000 bpd of crude, said economist Kelvin Emmanuel, who authored a report on oil theft last year. "There are risks with supply of crude oil feedstock. Energy Aspects, however, said in the long run, the Dangote refinery could end Nigeria's gasoline deficit, reshape the Atlantic basin gasoline market and export diesel that meets European Union specifications.

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Nigeria’s Obi visiting president-elect Tinubu is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“Obi visited Tinubu. The Labor Party Presidential candidate H.E Peter Obi visited the President Elect Tinubu. Obi denied visiting Tinubu during an interview on Arise News on May 1 (here ), time stamp 30:00. A photo said to show Peter Obi standing next to president-elect Bola Tinubu has been digitally altered. The original version does not feature Obi, who denied visiting Tinubu during an interview on May 1.

☆ Nigerian president to commission Dangote refinery in two weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABUJA, May 7 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will commission the multi-billion dollar Dangote oil refinery in two weeks, a presidency spokesperson said on Sunday, setting up the plant for its first production since construction started in 2016. Spokesperson Bashir Ahmad said Buhari will commission the refinery, near Lagos, on May 22, a week before he is due to leave office after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution. A spokesperson for Dangote confirmed the timing of the commissioning but did not give details. The Dangote refinery's cost grew to $19 billion from initial estimates of between $12 billion and $14 billion, after years of delays. Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Europe rushes to stock up on diesel ahead of Russian ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Buyers are rushing to fill European oil storage tanks with Russian diesel, with flows this month on track to hit a one-year high. FEB. 5 EU BANThe European Union banned seaborne Russian crude imports from Dec. 5 and will ban Russian oil products from Feb. 5, in a move aimed at depriving Moscow of revenue. The Group of Seven nations (G7), Australia and the 27 European Union countries also implemented on Dec. 5 a price cap on Russian crude. This allowed non-EU countries to continue importing seaborne Russian crude oil, but it will prohibit shipping, insurance and re-insurance companies from handling cargoes of Russian crude around the globe, unless it is sold for less than $60. DIESEL PRICESSince Europe is heavily reliant on Russian diesel imports, the Feb. 5 ban is expected to support profit margins for the fuel, analysts say.

☆ Nigeria is oil rich and energy poor. It can’t wait around for cheaper batteries
▼ + stars: | 2021-11-03 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

But it’s coming under huge pressure from developed countries to abandon fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy in order to help save the climate. AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockLike the United States, Europe and Britain, Nigeria sees a prominent role for renewable energy, notwithstanding its investments into gas power. “In Nigeria, clean energy is central to our government’s plan to transition to net-zero emissions,” Osinbajo, the vice president, continued. In Nigeria, energy poverty is itself a major driver of emissions, according to Olu Verheijen, the founder of Lagos-based energy advisory business Latimer Energy. This means that in some cases, certainly for Nigeria, gas has an important role to play in providing power.

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