Economist Podcasts Barrel vault: a Nigerian refining giant rises
13 snips
Mar 17, 2026 
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest industrialist, joins Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, an Africa correspondent, and Aryn Braun, a West Coast correspondent. They dig into Nigeria’s vast new refinery, its promise and monopoly risks, and what it means for African industry. Then they visit Los Angeles’s Iranian diaspora, where politics, identity and war fatigue collide. Finally, they explore research linking cancer diagnoses to crime.
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Dangote Refinery Changes Nigeria's Energy Dependence
- Dangote’s refinery turns Nigeria from a crude exporter that re-imported fuel into a country with domestic supply and fewer shortages.
- Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi says 650,000 barrels a day now save scarce dollars and reduce the queues that plagued Nigerians for decades.
Africa Gains Capacity While One Man Gains Power
- Dangote’s refinery strengthens Africa’s resilience, but it also concentrates energy security and market power in one businessman.
- Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi links frozen petrol import licences, foreign subcontractors, and thin local hiring to fears of a monopoly with limited knowledge transfer.
Tehrangeles Reveals A Fractured Iranian Exile Politics
- In Los Angeles’s Tehrangeles, Aryn Braun found Iranian exiles split on bombing but united in wanting Iranians to choose Iran’s future.
- Restaurateur and former opposition leader Ruzbeh celebrated strikes with champagne, while activist Elham Yaghoubian wanted bombing to continue until the regime was crippled.