, unsold cargoes of crude from Africa's most populous nation are sitting in tanker ships stuck out at sea as they wait for buyers before heading to refineries in Europe.
Nigeria is at a disadvantage because its cost of production is relatively high – around $15 to $30 dollars per barrel – because of corruption, widespread thefts, and increased security costs. The market turmoil has seen Nigeria's oil revenues drop by an eye-watering 80% and the country now faces an imminent recession, the government said last week.
"Nigeria is losing colossal amounts of money at the moment, it's a real disaster," NJ Ayuk, head of the African Energy Chamber in Johannesburg, told AFP.Some oil majors were already looking to sell their assets in Nigeria before the latest slump and any investment plans that remained in the country look set to be shelved now.