<p>Nigeria's oil discovery story began in 1903 when the Nigerian Bitumen Corporation started exploring for oil. However, it wasn't until 1956 that Shell-BP, a British-Dutch multinational, made the first commercially viable oil discovery in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, in the Niger Delta region. This significant find marked the beginning of Nigeria's journey as a major oil-producing nation.</p><p><br></p><p>*The Discovery Process:*</p><p><br></p><p>- *Early Exploration (1903-1937)*: The Nigerian Bitumen Corporation conducted exploratory work, but operations were halted due to World War I. Shell-BP later resumed exploration in 1937.</p><p>- *First Commercial Discovery (1956)*: Shell-BP discovered oil in Oloibiri, Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the country's oil industry.</p><p>- *Initial Production (1957-1960)*: Production began in 1957, with 847,000 tonnes of crude oil exported in 1960. Other significant oil wells discovered during this period include Afam and Bomu in Ogoni territory ¹ ².</p><p><br></p><p>*Impact on Nigeria's Economy:*</p><p><br></p><p>The discovery of oil transformed Nigeria's economy, shifting focus from agriculture to petroleum exports. Today, Nigeria is the largest oil and gas producer in Africa, with the oil sector contributing significantly to the country's GDP. The country's proven oil reserves are estimated at 16-35.3 billion barrels, making it the 10th most petroleum-rich nation globally ¹.</p>
At the end of each month, we give out cash prizes to 5 people with the best insights in the past month
as well as coupon points to 15 people who didn't make the top 5, but shared high-quality content.
The winners are NOT picked from the leaderboards/rankings, we choose winners based on the quality, originality
and insightfulness of their content.
Here are a few other things to know
1
Quality over Quantity — You stand a higher chance of winning by publishing a few really good insights across the entire month,
rather than a lot of low-quality, spammy posts.
2
Share original, authentic, and engaging content that clearly reflects your voice, thoughts, and opinions.
3
Avoid using AI to generate content—use it instead to correct grammar, improve flow, enhance structure, and boost clarity.
4
Explore audio content—high-quality audio insights can significantly boost your chances of standing out.
5
Use eye-catching cover images—if your content doesn't attract attention, it's less likely to be read or engaged with.
6
Share your content in your social circles to build engagement around it.
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Contributor Score
Here is a list of metrics that are used to calcuate your contributor score, arranged from
the metric with the highest weighting, to the one with the lowest weighting.
4
Comments (excluding replies)
5
Upvotes
6
Views
1
Number of insights published
2
Subscriptions received
3
Tips received
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