Nigeria has made a big step towards making its own fuel by delivering a million barrels of crude oil to a new refinery in the country. This is a big deal because Nigeria has had to buy refined oil from other countries, which costs a lot of money. The Dangote refinery, which took almost seven years to build, will start making fuel once it gets five million more barrels of crude oil. The refinery cost $19 billion and is expected to produce about 650,000 barrels of fuel per day.

The owner of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, who is the richest person in Africa, wants to get the refinery running at full speed in the next few months. He is excited to sell the first batch of fuel to Nigeria. The company hopes to provide all of Nigeria’s fuel needs and even have extra to sell to other countries. This is a big deal for Nigeria because it is the biggest economy in Africa and makes a lot of oil. Nigeria has had problems with fuel supply in the past, like not having enough money to buy it and the cost of fuel going up a lot.

The new president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, recently got rid of the fuel subsidy, which was costing the government a lot of money. This made the price of fuel go up by more than 400%. Some people are mad about this and want the government to change its mind, but President Tinubu thinks it will be good in the long run. The government says it has already saved over $1.8 billion by getting rid of the subsidy, and that money will be used for things like schools and hospitals. Making its own fuel will help Nigeria be less dependent on other countries and will have a big impact on the economy and politics.

Original news source: Nigeria takes major step towards once again producing refined oil (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students read the article and create a short summary of the main points. Encourage them to focus on the key information and use their own words.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Have students discuss in pairs or small groups their opinions on the decision to get rid of the fuel subsidy in Nigeria. Then, have them conduct an opinion poll in the class, where they ask other students about their thoughts on the issue. They can create a simple chart or graph to display the results.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words from the article. One member from each team will come up to the board and draw a picture to represent one of the words. The rest of their team must guess the word based on the drawing. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Give each student a small piece of paper and have them write a one-sentence summary of the article. Collect the papers and redistribute them randomly. Students must then read the summary they received and try to summarize it even further in just a few words. Continue this process for a few rounds, with students summarizing summaries, until the summaries become very brief and concise.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about the future impact of Nigeria’s new refinery. They should consider the potential effects on the economy, politics, and the country’s energy independence. Encourage them to support their predictions with evidence from the article. After the discussion, have each group share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is it a big deal that Nigeria has delivered a million barrels of crude oil to its new refinery?
2. How long did it take to build the Dangote refinery?
3. How much fuel is the refinery expected to produce per day?
4. Who is the owner of the refinery and what does he want to do with it?
5. Why is it significant that Nigeria wants to provide all of its own fuel needs?
6. What did the new president of Nigeria do that made some people angry?
7. How much did the price of fuel increase after the removal of the fuel subsidy?
8. What does the government plan to do with the money it saved from getting rid of the subsidy?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Nigeria has made a big step towards making its own fuel by (1)______ a million barrels of crude oil to a new (2)______ in the country. This is a big deal because Nigeria has had to buy refined oil from other countries, which costs a lot of money. The (3)______ refinery, which took almost seven years to build, will (4)______ making fuel once it gets five million more barrels of crude oil. The refinery cost $19 billion and is expected to produce about 650,000 barrels of fuel per day.

The (5)______ of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, who is the richest person in Africa, (6)______ to get the refinery running at full speed in the next few months. He is excited to sell the first batch of fuel to (7)______. The company hopes to (8)______ all of Nigeria’s fuel needs and even have extra to sell to other countries. This is a big deal for Nigeria because it is the (9)______ economy in Africa and makes a lot of oil. Nigeria has had (10)______ with fuel supply in the past, like not having enough (11)______ to buy it and the cost of fuel going up a lot.

The new president of Nigeria, Bola (12)______, recently got rid of the fuel subsidy, which was costing the government a lot of money. This made the price of fuel go up by more than 400%. Some people are mad about this and want the government to change its mind, but (13)______ Tinubu (14)______ it will be good in the long run. The government says it has already (15)______ over $1.8 billion by getting rid of the subsidy, and that money will be used for things like schools and hospitals. Making its own fuel will help Nigeria be less dependent on (16)______ countries and will have a big impact on the economy and politics.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a refinery and what does it do?
2. How would you feel if your country had to buy fuel from other countries?
3. Do you think it is important for a country to be able to make its own fuel? Why or why not?
4. How do you think Nigeria making its own fuel will affect the country’s economy?
5. Do you think it is a good idea for Nigeria to sell fuel to other countries? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the new refinery will impact the price of fuel in Nigeria?
7. What do you think about the government getting rid of the fuel subsidy?
8. Do you think it is fair for the price of fuel to go up by more than 400%?
9. How do you think the money saved from getting rid of the subsidy should be used?
10. How do you think making its own fuel will make Nigeria less dependent on other countries?
11. Do you think the new refinery will create more job opportunities in Nigeria? Why or why not?
12. How do you think the new refinery will affect the environment in Nigeria?
13. Do you think it is important for a country to have control over its own fuel supply? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the new refinery will impact the political situation in Nigeria?
15. Do you think other countries should follow Nigeria’s example and try to make their own fuel? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. refinery
2. crude oil
3. cost
4. fuel
5. economy
6. subsidy
7. government
8. impact
9. dependent
10. politics
11. deliver
12. batch
13. extra
14. president
15. step

Meanings:
(A) The effect or influence that something has on someone or something
(B) Needing someone or something else in order to survive or be successful
(C) The group of people who control and make decisions for a country or state
(D) The amount of money needed to buy or produce something
(E) The system of producing, distributing, and using goods and services in a country or region
(F) Oil that is in its natural state and has not been processed
(G) The activities, actions, and policies used to gain and hold power in a government or to influence a government
(H) A substance that is burned to produce energy, such as gasoline or diesel
(I) More than what is needed or expected
(J) A particular action or process in a series of actions or processes
(K) A place where crude oil is turned into usable products like gasoline
(L) To bring something to a person or place
(M) Money given by the government to help reduce the cost of something
(N) The leader of a country or state
(O) A group of things that are made or produced at the same time
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is Nigeria delivering a million barrels of crude oil to a new refinery?
(a) To sell the crude oil to other countries
(b) To start making its own fuel
(c) To reduce the cost of buying refined oil
(d) To save money for schools and hospitals

2. How long did it take to build the Dangote refinery?
(a) One year
(b) Two months
(c) Ten years
(d) Almost seven years

3. How much fuel is the Dangote refinery expected to produce per day?
(a) 650,000 barrels
(b) 1 million barrels
(c) 500,000 barrels
(d) 800,000 barrels

4. Who is the owner of the Dangote refinery?
(a) Bola Tinubu
(b) The Nigerian government
(c) The richest person in Europe
(d) Aliko Dangote

5. What is the main goal of the Dangote refinery?
(a) To sell fuel to other countries
(b) To reduce the cost of fuel for the government
(c) To provide all of Nigeria’s fuel needs
(d) To become the biggest refinery in Africa

6. Why did the price of fuel in Nigeria go up by more than 400%?
(a) The cost of crude oil increased
(b) The fuel subsidy was removed
(c) The government wanted to make more money
(d) Other countries stopped selling fuel to Nigeria

7. How much money has the Nigerian government saved by getting rid of the fuel subsidy?
(a) Over $1.8 billion
(b) $19 billion
(c) $650,000
(d) $400%

8. How will making its own fuel impact Nigeria’s economy and politics?
(a) It will increase the cost of fuel for the people
(b) It will lead to more fuel shortages
(c) It will make Nigeria less dependent on other countries
(d) It will make Nigeria the biggest economy in the world

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The refinery cost $19 million and is expected to produce about 650,000 barrels of fuel per week.
2. The company hopes to provide all of Nigeria’s fuel needs and even have extra to sell to other countries.
3. The new president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, recently removed the fuel subsidy, which had been costing the government a lot of money.
4. Making its own fuel will help Nigeria be less reliant on other countries and will have a significant impact on the economy and politics.
5. The Dangote refinery took almost seven years to build and will start producing fuel once it receives five million more barrels of crude oil.
6. This is insignificant because Nigeria used to have to buy refined oil from other countries, which was cheap.
7. Nigeria has not delivered a million barrels of crude oil to a new refinery in the country.
8. The owner of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, is not the richest person in Africa and wants to shut down the refinery in the next few months.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why is it a big deal that Nigeria has delivered a million barrels of crude oil to its new refinery?
2. How long did it take to build the Dangote refinery?
3. Who is the owner of the refinery and what is his goal?
4. What problems has Nigeria had with fuel supply in the past?
5. Why did the new president of Nigeria get rid of the fuel subsidy?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is it a big deal that Nigeria has delivered a million barrels of crude oil to its new refinery?
It is a big deal because Nigeria has had to buy refined oil from other countries, which costs a lot of money. By delivering crude oil to its own refinery, Nigeria can now make its own fuel and save money.

2. How long did it take to build the Dangote refinery?
It took almost seven years to build the Dangote refinery.

3. How much fuel is the refinery expected to produce per day?
The refinery is expected to produce about 650,000 barrels of fuel per day.

4. Who is the owner of the refinery and what does he want to do with it?
The owner of the refinery is Aliko Dangote, who is the richest person in Africa. He wants to get the refinery running at full speed in the next few months and sell the first batch of fuel to Nigeria. He also hopes to provide all of Nigeria’s fuel needs and even have extra to sell to other countries.

5. Why is it significant that Nigeria wants to provide all of its own fuel needs?
It is significant because Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and makes a lot of oil. By providing all of its own fuel needs, Nigeria can be less dependent on other countries for fuel and have more control over its own energy supply. This will have a big impact on the economy and politics of Nigeria.

6. What did the new president of Nigeria do that made some people angry?
The new president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, got rid of the fuel subsidy, which was costing the government a lot of money. This made the price of fuel go up by more than 400%, which made some people angry.

7. How much did the price of fuel increase after the removal of the fuel subsidy?
The price of fuel increased by more than 400% after the removal of the fuel subsidy.

8. What does the government plan to do with the money it saved from getting rid of the subsidy?
The government plans to use the money it saved from getting rid of the subsidy for things like schools and hospitals.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) delivering
(2) refinery
(3) Dangote
(4) start
(5) owner
(6) wants
(7) Nigeria
(8) provide
(9) biggest
(10) problems
(11) money
(12) Tinubu
(13) President
(14) thinks
(15) saved
(16) other
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. refinery
Answer: (K) A place where crude oil is turned into usable products like gasoline

2. crude oil
Answer: (F) Oil that is in its natural state and has not been processed

3. cost
Answer: (D) The amount of money needed to buy or produce something

4. fuel
Answer: (H) A substance that is burned to produce energy, such as gasoline or diesel

5. economy
Answer: (E) The system of producing, distributing, and using goods and services in a country or region

6. subsidy
Answer: (M) Money given by the government to help reduce the cost of something

7. government
Answer: (C) The group of people who control and make decisions for a country or state

8. impact
Answer: (A) The effect or influence that something has on someone or something

9. dependent
Answer: (B) Needing someone or something else in order to survive or be successful

10. politics
Answer: (G) The activities, actions, and policies used to gain and hold power in a government or to influence a government

11. deliver
Answer: (L) To bring something to a person or place

12. batch
Answer: (O) A group of things that are made or produced at the same time

13. extra
Answer: (I) More than what is needed or expected

14. president
Answer: (N) The leader of a country or state

15. step
Answer: (J) A particular action or process in a series of actions or processes
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is Nigeria delivering a million barrels of crude oil to a new refinery?
Answer: (b) To start making its own fuel

2. How long did it take to build the Dangote refinery?
Answer: (d) Almost seven years

3. How much fuel is the Dangote refinery expected to produce per day?
Answer: (a) 650,000 barrels

4. Who is the owner of the Dangote refinery?
Answer: (d) Aliko Dangote

5. What is the main goal of the Dangote refinery?
Answer: (c) To provide all of Nigeria’s fuel needs

6. Why did the price of fuel in Nigeria go up by more than 400%?
Answer: (b) The fuel subsidy was removed

7. How much money has the Nigerian government saved by getting rid of the fuel subsidy?
Answer: (a) Over $1.8 billion

8. How will making its own fuel impact Nigeria’s economy and politics?
Answer: (c) It will make Nigeria less dependent on other countries
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The refinery cost $19 million and is expected to produce about 650,000 barrels of fuel per week. (Answer: False)
2. The company hopes to provide all of Nigeria’s fuel needs and even have extra to sell to other countries. (Answer: True)
3. The new president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, recently removed the fuel subsidy, which had been costing the government a lot of money. (Answer: True)
4. Making its own fuel will help Nigeria be less reliant on other countries and will have a significant impact on the economy and politics. (Answer: True)
5. The Dangote refinery took almost seven years to build and will start producing fuel once it receives five million more barrels of crude oil. (Answer: True)
6. This is insignificant because Nigeria used to have to buy refined oil from other countries, which was cheap. (Answer: False)
7. Nigeria has not delivered a million barrels of crude oil to a new refinery in the country. (Answer: False)
8. The owner of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, is not the richest person in Africa and wants to shut down the refinery in the next few months. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧