Middle East & Africa | When the wells run dry

Nigeria’s high-cost oil industry is in decline

That will leave a gaping hole in exports and public finances

Photograph: Getty Images

A chief economist at Shell once described Nigeria as the “jewel in the crown” of the oil major’s empire. Yet in recent years the jewel has lost its lustre. Early this year Shell, which has been pumping oil in Nigeria for nearly seven decades, agreed to sell its onshore subsidiary to a consortium of mostly local companies.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “When the wells run dry”

From the March 23rd 2024 edition

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