The two largest petroleum firms in West Africa at the time are seen in this picture: Shell Nigeria is on the right, and Total is on the left. In 1938, Shell D’Arcy commenced operations in Nigeria after being awarded an exploration license. Oil exports began in 1958 when Shell Nigeria identified the Niger Delta’s first commercial oil field in Oloibiri in 1956. Like many other African nations, Nigeria’s economy was heavily dependent on agricultural exports to foreign nations prior to the discovery of oil. A lot of Nigerians believed the developers were in search of palm oil.
On June 1, 1956, TOTAL NIGERIA PLC was established as a private business with the purpose of marketing petroleum products in Nigeria. For over fifty years, Total Nigeria Plc has led the downstream segment of the country’s oil and gas business. In Lagos, the first Total gas station opened for business in 1956.
