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
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






