Kicking It
Meet the Illegal Oil Refiners of Nigeria
.
.
Deep inside the mangrove forests of the Niger Delta, thousands of young men use makeshift equipment, risking arrest and accidents, to refine a valuable commodity: oil.
They fill a pressing gap in Nigeria. Africa’s top petroleum producer can’t refine nearly enough oil to fulfil its citizens’ needs. As fuel prices have surged in the last year, demand is higher than ever for black market fuel.
Yet illegal refiners face an increasingly intense clampdown from the government, which is trying to claw back lost revenue; and many communities in the Niger Delta blame them for contributing to decades of environmental damage caused by oil spills.
But when those who endure the worst of oil’s environmental impacts are also helping to keep the business alive, what does this tell us about a dirty yet essential commodity?
And what will it take to quit oil?
We travelled to the heart of the Niger Delta to find out.
0:00 Intro
1:19 Nigeria's fuel needs
3:25 Meet the illegal oil refiners
5:32 The government's crackdown
6:56 Shell's presence in Nigeria
7:42 The legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa
10:48 Moving forward for Nigeria's oil economy
#oil #nigeria #fuel
--
Subscribe: https://www.bit.ly/3L0j2Ro
Watch more videos: https://www.bit.ly/3FPmblU
Visit our site: https://www.context.news/
—
We make short documentaries, explainers and original series for people who care about the world’s biggest challenges. Context is anchored around three of the most significant and interdependent issues of our time: climate change, the impact of technology on society and inclusive economies. We contextualize how critical issues and events affect ordinary people, society and the environment.
Context is a media platform brought to you by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. Through journalism, media development, free legal assistance, and convening initiatives, we combine our unique services to drive systemic change.