President Tinubu Pledges to Restore Nigeria's State Refineries

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Thursday at the State House in Abuja to discuss the revival of Nigeria's state-owned refineries. Tinubu pledged that the facilities would return to operation following a comprehensive reset, restructuring, and technical review aimed at addressing structural, operational, and financial challenges. He emphasized that success would be measured by profitability and value generation, noting that the presence of smoke from a refinery does not equate to a successful revival.

During the meeting, Tinubu stated he accepts full responsibility for the assets and liabilities inherited from previous administrations. He defended the removal of fuel subsidies, arguing that the saved funds have enabled major infrastructure projects, and urged transport operators to pass cost savings from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to commuters. He further promised NUPENG greater involvement in the implementation of the CNG initiative.

NUPENG President Salimon Akanni Oladiti commended the administration's road rehabilitation projects and its partnership with Chinese firms to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries. However, Oladiti urged the president to intervene in the casualisation of workers in the upstream oil and gas sector and requested that decaying Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company depots be handed over to private investors to enhance energy security and reduce import dependence.