Nigeria: delta of trouble
Nigeria planned to clean up its oil sector and increase production, but the optimism is fading
WHEN Muhammadu Buhari assumed Nigeria's presidency for the second time in May 2015, many hoped his new broom would sweep aside the problems dogging the oil and gas sector's development. An overhaul of the industry's organisational and investment frameworks and a serious push to tackle the causes of instability in the industry's Niger delta heartland were at the top of his agenda. Just over a year on, progress has been patchy. New militant groups are now bombing oil and gas installations in the delta, cutting supply drastically, while the long-delayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), intended to redefine the state's relationship with its partners in the energy sector, remains where it was - b
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






