FACT-CHECK: Nigeria Began Exporting Crude Oil in 1958, Decades Before Gov. AbdulRazaq’s NOPA Oil Services
BY: Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho
Claim:
A Facebook post by JUST EVENT ONLINE claims that Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, was the first Nigerian to legally export crude oil through his company, NOPA Oil Services.
Verdict: MISLEADING.
Full Text:
A Facebook publication by JUST EVENT ONLINE has described Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as the first Nigerian to legally export crude oil through his company, NOPA Oil Services.
The claim presents AbdulRazaq as a pioneer in Nigeria’s crude oil export industry. However, historical records show that Nigeria commenced crude oil exports decades before the establishment of the company.
To establish the accuracy of the claim, FactCheckAfrica examined the Kwara State Government’s official profile of the governor, historical records of Nigeria’s petroleum industry and other published accounts of NOPA Oil Services.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica reviewed Kwara State Government’s official profile shows that AbdulRazaq founded NOPA Oil Services at the age of 29.
The profile describes the company as the first indigenous company to trade in crude oil and petroleum products in international markets, including the United States, Europe and Asia.
Similarly, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum profile identifies NOPA Oil Services and First Fuels as indigenous oil and gas businesses established by AbdulRazaq.
These accounts support the assertion that AbdulRazaq was involved in international petroleum trading through his business interests.
However, the claim that he was the first Nigerian to legally export crude oil does not align with Nigeria’s documented petroleum history.
According to historical records, commercial crude oil was discovered at Oloibiri, in present-day Bayelsa State, in 1956 by Shell-BP.
Nigeria subsequently commenced crude oil exports in February 1958, when its first shipment was exported to international markets.
Shell Nigeria‘s historical account confirms February 1958 as the date of the country’s first oil shipment.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s 2015 Oil and Gas Industry Annual Report also records February 17, 1958, as the date of Nigeria’s first crude oil export, with an initial production rate of approximately 5,100 barrels per day.
These records establish that Nigeria had been exporting crude oil long before AbdulRazaq reportedly founded NOPA Oil Services.
Consequently, he could not have been the first Nigerian involved in the country’s crude oil export history.
However, an important distinction exists between being the first Nigerian to export crude oil and establishing an indigenous Nigerian company that subsequently participated in international crude oil trading.
While the Kwara State Government describes NOPA Oil Services as the first indigenous company to trade crude oil and petroleum products in international markets, FactCheckAfrica could not independently establish this historical precedent through contemporary export records or regulatory documentation.
Therefore, the official description of NOPA Oil Services as an indigenous pioneer should not be interpreted as proof that AbdulRazaq was the first Nigerian to legally export crude oil.
Conclusion:
FactCheckAfrica investigated that Nigeria commenced crude oil exports in February 1958, decades before AbdulRazaq reportedly established NOPA Oil Services. While AbdulRazaq’s involvement in international petroleum trading is documented, there is insufficient evidence to establish that he was the first Nigerian to legally export crude oil.
The publication by JUST EVENT ONLINE therefore confuses the claimed pioneering status of an indigenous oil-trading company with Nigeria’s broader crude oil export history.
