The Nigerian government is facing growing criticism after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) admitted that the country’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna remain inactive despite billions of dollars spent on repairs. Opposition figures are calling for a probe into alleged corruption in the failed rehabilitation efforts, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of poor oversight.
Business magnate Aliko Dangote recently questioned the refineries' viability, noting that an estimated $18 billion had been spent on repairs with no success. NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, reinforced this claim in a Bloomberg interview on Friday in Vienna, Austria, stating that outdated infrastructure has hindered years of attempted upgrades. Ojulari revealed that the NNPCL is now exploring a potential sale of the refineries, with a final decision expected by the end of the year.
“We are reassessing our refinery strategy—selling is a possibility, but we are keeping all options open,” Ojulari said. He blamed the failures on aging technology and neglected facilities, adding, “Significant investments were made, but some technical solutions didn’t work, and reviving long-abandoned plants has been more difficult than anticipated.”
Opposition leaders have condemned both the Tinubu and former Buhari administrations for allegedly deceiving the public about the refineries’ operational status. They demand investigations into the mismanagement of funds and warn against privatizing the refineries without strict oversight, pointing to Nigeria’s troubled power sector privatization as a cautionary example.
Ojulari, who took over as NNPCL CEO in April 2025, has been more transparent than his predecessor, Mele Kyari, who had pledged in 2019 that the refineries would be operational by May 2023. The current review may lead to a new strategy to tackle the refineries’ longstanding inefficiencies.
Public frustration continues to mount, with increasing demands for accountability and effective solutions to Nigeria’s enduring refining crisis.
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