Crude connections: how social networks sustain artisanal oil refining in Nigeria’s Niger Delta

Artisanal oil refining in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a vital economic lifeline for many youths, providing livelihoods and economic opportunities for the employed, the unemployed, and the marginalised. While much of the existing research on artisanal oil refining in Nigeria’s Niger Delta focuses on environmental and economic impacts, this article builds on these debates by emphasising the role of social networks within the refining economy. This relational dimension is crucial to understanding why the artisanal oil refining economy persists and what it means for oil governance in Nigeria. Hence, the paper examines how social networks organise, regulate and sustain artisanal oil refining in the Niger Delta.