Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil exporter

Nigerian union leaders have suspended a national strike action that has brought the urban centres to a virtual halt for the past four days. The leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, said they'll resume their action after a two-week pause unless the government reverses a recent 25% rise in the price of fuel. This report from Dan Isaacs:

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But the country's oil sector is in a mess and needs fundamental restructuring. Only a substantial increase in the price of domestic fuel, argues the government, will make local refineries more profitable and draw in much-needed private finance.

Despite being one of the world's largest oil exporters, Nigeria refines only a very small proportion of even its own fuel needs, and has to import the rest - a severe and unnecessary drain on resources.

Not surprisingly, ordinary Nigerians find these steep price rises hard to swallow, particularly as they're well aware that successive governments have squandered the country's oil riches; bringing great wealth to the few, and only hardship and poverty to the overwhelming majority of its people.

Dan Isaacs, BBC

Listen to the words

birthright
a basic right you believe you should have because of the family or country you come from

fundamental
necessary and very important

refineries
factories where something is refined

draw in
attract

drain
waste

steep
very big

hard to swallow
difficult to accept

squandered
wasted

overwhelming
very large numbers

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