Nigeria struggles to expand oil industry

Nigeria has recently announced a series of proposals to increase reserves and production and to expand and upgrade the refinery sector. These much-needed initiatives, however, are threatened by the mounting violence affecting the main onshore oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta. Peace needs urgently to be restored to this region if Nigeria's ambitious plans are to be realised as planned. So far, there is little sign of the government's ability to bring law and order back to this impoverished and troubled area.