ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has disagreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the viability of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, insisting that the Port Harcourt and Warri facilities will return to profitable operations .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Tinubu made his position known on Thursday when he received the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja . The President emphasised that his administration was focused on a comprehensive reset and structural reworking of the refineries to ensure profitability .
“The refineries you mentioned are going to come back to work,” Tinubu declared. “Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean it’s working, until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built” .
CDA News Nigeria reports that Tinubu also accepted responsibility for the facilities, stating: “I am not a man who looks back because I have accepted the asset and liability of my predecessor. It is my responsibility now to fix it and make it work” .
Obasanjo has repeatedly argued that the NNPC cannot successfully operate the refineries and has advocated for private-sector participation . He recalled offering Shell a 10% equity stake to run the refineries, but the oil major declined, citing small capacity, poor maintenance, and corruption .
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has also weighed in, accusing Tinubu of shifting blame for what he described as refinery failures under his administration .
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