President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the country’s refineries will return to operation, saying his administration is undertaking structural reforms to make them productive and profitable.
The President also expressed concern that the benefits of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) are not reaching commuters as quickly as expected, saying much of the gains currently appear to be going to truck owners.
Key Highlights
Tinubu says Nigeria’s refineries will return to operation.
President says refinery revival must focus on profitability and productivity.
Tinubu urges wider distribution of CNG benefits to commuters.
NUPENG asks Tinubu to stop casualisation of workers in the oil industry.
NUPENG seeks revival of Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company depots.
Union commends federal highway rehabilitation and refinery revival efforts.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday when he received the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The President described NUPENG as an important partner in the government’s efforts to reform the economy.
“You occupy a very critical nerve of the economy of this country,” he told the union leaders.
The President recalled his pledge during the 2023 presidential campaign to remove fuel subsidy despite threats of industrial action by oil and gas workers.
He said the government would soon publish details of how savings from subsidy removal had been utilised, adding that the reform had helped improve the ability of governments at various levels to meet their salary obligations and fund infrastructure projects.
Tinubu cited the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Kano and Sokoto-Badagry highways among projects benefiting from increased funding.
Tinubu: CNG Benefits Must Reach Commuters
The President also called for a wider distribution of the benefits associated with the CNG initiative.
He said the government would continue to support the programme but urged transport operators to ensure that the savings from CNG conversion were reflected in fares paid by commuters.
“Whatever benefit is coming from CNG is going into the pockets of truck owners. It’s not spreading as fast as I would like, but it should spread,” he said.
‘Nigeria’s Refineries Will Come Back’
Tinubu assured NUPENG that the country’s refineries would be revived, stressing that the government was focused on restructuring their economics to ensure sustainable operations.
“The refineries you mentioned are going to come back to work,” the President said.
He explained that the mere presence of flames or smoke from a refinery would not be enough to establish that the facility was operating effectively.
According to him, the refineries must be capable of operating profitably and generating the value for which they were established.
Tinubu said he had accepted responsibility for fixing the country’s inherited assets and liabilities, regardless of what happened under previous administrations.
“I take responsibility for that, and I’m going to do it,” he said.
He expressed confidence that continued reforms, perseverance and determination would eventually improve economic conditions and deliver relief to Nigerians.
NUPENG Seeks End to Casualisation
Speaking earlier, NUPENG President, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, appealed to Tinubu to intervene in the growing practice of casualisation of workers in the oil industry, particularly in the upstream sector.
Oladiti described the practice as unhealthy and said previous efforts by the union to persuade some oil companies to end it had produced limited results.
He said NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) had tolerated the situation because of the potentially damaging effect of industrial action on the economy.
The union leader urged Tinubu to use his office to compel affected companies to address the issue.
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NUPENG Demands Revival of Oil Depots
Oladiti also commended the Federal Government for rehabilitating and dualising major highways, saying improved roads would make the movement of petroleum products safer for tanker drivers.
He, however, appealed to the President to revive the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) depots across the country.
According to him, restoring the depots would complement efforts to revive Nigeria’s refineries and improve the country’s petroleum products distribution network.
NUPENG also commended the administration’s efforts to revive the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries through partnerships with Chinese firms.
The union proposed that the decaying NPSC depots be handed over to private investors under an equity arrangement to improve their management and operational efficiency.
