Jet fuel shortage could halt long-haul flights next month – Report

Nigeria's aviation sector faces a critical supply disruption as jet fuel shortages loom on the horizon, threatening to ground long-haul international flights and undermine the country's position as West Africa's primary aviation hub. This supply constraint arrives at a particularly sensitive moment for the continent's post-pandemic recovery, when airlines have only recently restored capacity and European investors are reassessing their exposure to African aviation infrastructure and related industries. The anticipated jet fuel shortage represents a confluence of structural and cyclical challenges plaguing Nigeria's energy sector. Despite possessing Africa's largest proven oil reserves, Nigeria remains heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products, including aviation turbine fuel (Jet A1). This paradoxical situation stems from decades of underinvestment in domestic refining capacity, aging infrastructure at the country's few refineries, and the dominance of crude oil exports over value-added processing. When global crude prices fluctuate or supply chains face disruption, Nigeria's aviation fuel supply becomes immediately vulnerable—a weakness that international operators have experienced repeatedly over the past decade. For European investors, this development carries multi-layered implications. Airlines operating routes between European capitals and major African hubs—such as Lagos, Johannesburg, and Accra—face potential schedule disruptions and increased operating costs if they must source fuel at