Early this month, the World Bank made recommendations to the government of Nigeria, asking them to open the country’s borders to allow imports of premium motor spirit imports. This is seen as a way to edge Dangote refineries. On April 7, the World Bank, in its Nigeria Development Update, recommended that Africa’s most populous country prioritize imports, stating that imported fuel will be cheaper than domestically produced petrol. Days later, after the outcry of Nigerians, the World Bank deleted its NDU report and clarified that its recommendation is not a blanket stamp on fuel importation but a broader strategy linked to reforms and consumer protection in Nigeria. It later reversed its earlier stance on downstream oil sector liberalization, stating, “In the case of Nigeria, the focus should be to provide targeted support to the most vulnerable people through their well-functioning social safety net system, and the World Bank Group stands ready to step up its existing support.”
Recall that Aliko Dangote, Africa’s Richest Man Built One of the World’s Largest Oil Refineries in Nigeria, and is now supplying countries in the midst of the Iran war and blockade in the strait of Ormuz. This has been a major game changer for the country and for Africa as a whole. Picture this, you are an oil producer, yet you export the crude oil to be refined elsewhere and later on import it at a higher price and very often low-grade quality (Swiss Firms poison Oil destined for Africa). Dangote has changed this, and at a time where the world is in turmoil because of the blockade in the strait of Ormuz which supplies over 20% of the world’s oil, his refinery has been able to meet demands. The West could not see this ‘independence’ too well, because their oil companies used to own the oil in Nigeria and refine it, and sell it back at premium prices.
My question to the ‘caring’ (sarcasm) World Bank is this: where were you when your oil companies, Shell, BP, … were spilling oil in the Niger delta, thus creating major oil pollution? Justice at last from Shell … for Nigerians! Did you recommend that they clean up? Did you recommend that they compensate for all the environmental damages, the loss of livelihood, water contamination, health problems, forced migration, and loss of lives, caused while making humongous benefits? Did you stop Shell when it sold its subsidiary to absolve itself from paying for damages? Yet, your sister organizations at the UN and several human-rights organizations have said that the scale and duration of the oil pollution in the Niger Delta amounts to such a severe environmental injustice that some activists and scholars have described it as an “environmental genocide.” Now the World Bank wants us to believe that it cares so much for Nigerians that it wants them to save money at the pump by allowing foreign imports! REALLY???
After the World Bank redacted their statement, how can sane ‘experts’ make a recommendation to any country that imports is better for their livelihood? particularly to an oil producing country to import oil? They must think we are idiots.
Nigeria should not bow down to that institution which has never helped any country in the world except the imperialist ones that it serves. Nigeria and Africa should stick to working towards its independence (economic, political, cultural, etc) from these vipers!
To learn more, check out the articles at Guardian.Ng, The Africa Report, or the Daily Post Nigeria.
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