Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed how Nigeria's lack of protective legislation at the onset of oil discovery in 1956 created systemic vulnerabilities that persist today. Speaking at a Bayelsa oil industry event, Jonathan contrasted Nigeria's experience with China's strategic approach to local content development.
- Legal Vacuum: Nigeria operated under colonial Mineral Oil Ordinances (1886/1914) until the Petroleum Act 1969, 13 years after commercial discovery
- Missed Opportunity: China, discovering oil later (1968), surpassed Nigeria in local manufacturing for oil industry needs by 2000
- Content Revolution: Jonathan's 2010 Local Content Act (inspired by China's Daqing model) began addressing historical gaps
- Modern Fix: Petroleum Industry Act (2021) finally updated framework first proposed during Jonathan's administration
Can Nigeria still reclaim lost ground in oil sector control, or has the ship sailed?
