Action time for Nigeria's government
Nigeria’s government is pressing on with plans to liberalise key parts of the economy. The downstream is a priority
BY LOOSENING the state's grip on key levers, from the exchange rate to the oil industry, Muhammadu Buhari's administration wants to fire up Nigeria's economy. The economy shrank in real terms by 0.36% in the first quarter of 2016, as over-reliance on oil bit hard. The outlook is slightly better - the African Development Bank forecasts GDP for the year could grow by 3.8% - but neighbours Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal are all doing better. The gravity of the situation has prompted a search for sweeping remedies. State firm Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said in late June that it had signed provisional agreements worth some $80bn with more than 30 Chinese firms to upgrade
Also in this section
14 April 2026
The GECF has warned it may revise its projections for demand this year downwards in light of conflict in the Middle East, although it maintains its forecasts for 2027 and onwards
13 April 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis highlights sharp shift from crude oversupply to market deficit, with Iraq and Kuwait badly affected and key producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE also seeing output sharply lower
13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy
