Sixteen months into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, sworn in May 29, 2023, the hope of Nigeria’s refineries returning to life, as promised, is fast becoming a mirage, according to a report by the Nigerian Tribune.
Before the 2023 general elections, Tinubu, then the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, pledged to restore the functionality of state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. Additionally, he assured Nigerians that his administration would curb potential fuel price hikes and even lower costs. Yet, none of these goals have been met.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, subtly criticized the Nigerian government on September 3, 2024, as he marked the first official production of petrol from his private refinery. After decades of no local petrol production, his announcement was hailed as a national milestone. However, any relief was short-lived as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) had earlier dashed hopes of fuel prices dropping below ₦500 per litre following the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023. In fact, amidst scarcity and long queues, NNPCL raised the price from ₦617 to ₦865 per litre, according to Tribune Online.
Although many Nigerians expected Dangote’s refinery to drive down prices, the reality remains uncertain. Conversations have since shifted back to the state of Nigeria’s publicly owned refineries, with the NNPCL announcing plans to transfer Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to private firms. As frustration grows, here are five instances when the Tinubu administration assured the public that the Port Harcourt refinery would begin operations, only for the promises to remain unfulfilled.
1. Assurance During Meeting with Labour Leaders (August 2023)
On August 2, 2023, President Tinubu, in a bid to quell national protests over the subsidy removal, promised labour leaders that the Port Harcourt refinery would start production by December 2023. This commitment followed discussions between the President and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero, as well as Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo.
2. Minister of State’s Visit to Port Harcourt Refinery (August 2023)
Later that month, on August 25, 2023, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, announced during a site visit that the Port Harcourt refinery would be functional by December 2023. He emphasized that the $1.5 billion rehabilitation was central to Tinubu’s plan to end petroleum imports.
3. Mele Kyari’s Meeting with Senate Ad-hoc Committee (March 2024)
In March 2024, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, assured the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Turnaround Maintenance of Refineries that the Port Harcourt facility was ready and would start producing petroleum by the end of that month. The refinery, however, remained non-operational.
4. Senate Ad-hoc Committee’s Visit to Governor Fubara (April 2024)
During an April 19, 2024, visit to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Petroleum, reiterated that the Port Harcourt refinery was 90% complete and would be operational by year-end. The assurance was part of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, but it has yet to materialize.
5. Emergency Session on the Economy (July 2024)
In the latest round of promises, on July 15, 2024, Mele Kyari once again set a new date—August 2024—for the refinery to commence production. He further claimed Nigeria would become a net exporter of petrol by year-end, with the Kaduna refinery slated to begin operations by December 2024. Yet, as of now, none of these targets have been met.
Despite repeated commitments, the Port Harcourt refinery remains inactive, leaving Nigerians wondering when, or if, these promises will be kept.
