Modular refineries and the path to reducing fuel imports

From songs by Burna boy to hits from Teni the entertainer, the name Dangote is well represented in Nigerian culture. Everyone and their dog knows of Dangote. Many also know that he is currently constructing a refinery named after him in Lagos state. This refinery, on completion, will be the largest in Africa.

It should significantly reduce Nigeria’s petrol importation—an embarrassing task given that we have the second-largest crude oil reserves in Africa

Crude oil, in its raw form, is mostly useless. That is why we need oil refineries to process the oil into more useful energy sources such as petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, domestic kerosene, etc. 

For Nigeria, the challenge has been getting the refineries to work. The four government-owned refineries in the country are not operational. But together, they can refine as much as 445,000 barrels of oil per day.

However, they have been shut down due to