Any hope for artisanal refining in Nigeria?

Although Nigeria is the 7th largest exporter of Crude Petroleum in the world, Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos which was inaugurated in May this year and described as the game changer for Nigeria’s economy is currently importing crude oil from outside the country because NNPC cannot sell crude oil to the Dangote refinery. This isn’t a subject of debate in Nigeria’s energy industry.In 2021, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced that the integration of artisanal and modular refinery operators into the mainstream oil and gas sector would boost local content in the industry. Osinbajo’s who spoke virtually at the National Summit on the Integration of Artisanal and Modular Refinery Operations in Nigeria said such integration would advance the use of home-grown technology in the refining of petroleum products.