Nigeria joined the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in__________

Analyze the question: The question asks for the year Nigeria became a member of OPEC.

Concept: OPEC was founded in 1960 in Baghdad by five countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Other oil-producing countries joined later. Nigeria was among them, and it is Africa's long-standing major member.

Working through it:

• Nigeria discovered oil in commercial quantities at Oloibiri (now in Bayelsa State) in 1956.
• Production began in 1958.
• The Nigerian civil war ran from 1967 to 1970, and oil became central to the economy afterwards.
• Nigeria formally joined OPEC in 1971, soon after the war ended. The Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) was also established in 1971, the same year, and later became the NNPC in 1977.

Checking the options:

• A. 1970: the civil war had just ended, but Nigeria had not yet joined.
• B. 1971: correct.
• C. 1972: too late.
• D. 1973: this is the year of the global oil crisis and embargo, not Nigeria's entry.

Tip: Remember "Nigeria joined OPEC in 71, the same year NNOC was set up." Link it to the end of the civil war (1970), then the next year (1971) to get the date. Also remember that OPEC itself began in 1960, the same year as Nigeria's independence, which helps you avoid mixing up the two dates.