President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that Nigeria’s refineries will be revived, stressing that the Federal Government is committed to restructuring and repositioning the facilities to operate efficiently and profitably.
The President gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja when he received the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its National President, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, at the State House.
Responding to NUPENG’s appeal for the revival of the nation’s refineries, Tinubu said the government would adopt a systematic and evidence-based approach to addressing the challenges facing the facilities.
He explained that detailed research and technical assessments would be undertaken to identify the structural, operational, financial and managerial problems affecting the refineries and determine sustainable solutions.
“The refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work; we’re just building a very firm, resetting, and structural reworking of the economy of it. Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean that it’s working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built,” the President said.
Tinubu said he had accepted responsibility for the assets and liabilities inherited from previous administrations and would work to ensure that the refineries deliver value to Nigerians.
“I’m not a man who goes looking back on everything because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. No matter what has happened in the years past, it’s now my responsibility as president to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population,” he said.
The President also appealed to Nigerians and stakeholders to remain committed to the democratic process, assuring them that the reforms being undertaken by his administration would ultimately lead to a better Nigeria.
On local government autonomy, Tinubu said the constitutional issues surrounding its implementation were being reviewed, with the possibility of fine-tuning the framework to address outstanding concerns. He urged stakeholders to exercise patience and understanding.
The President also paid tribute to the late former NUPENG President, Frank Kokori, recalling their shared struggle for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.
“You brought good memories of my relationship with Frank Kokori; may his soul rest in peace. We struggled for this democratic dispensation together, and it was very tough for us to have this democracy,” Tinubu said.
He further promised to give NUPENG greater inclusion in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), while challenging the union to ensure that the benefits of the programme translate into tangible relief for ordinary commuters.
NUPENG Commends Tinubu’s Reforms
Speaking earlier, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, commended NUPENG for acknowledging what he described as the positive impact of the administration’s reform agenda.
Idris said the growing understanding between the government and organised labour had helped reduce friction and improve cooperation.
He recalled that labour leaders had previously commended the President for approving a wage increase for Nigerian workers and for indicating that there was no need to wait five years before reviewing the minimum wage.
According to the minister, NUPENG’s recognition of the administration’s reforms was significant because of the union’s strategic role in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
He particularly cited the removal of the fuel subsidy and the ongoing infrastructure projects across the country as areas where the government’s reforms were producing visible results.
NUPENG Backs Subsidy Removal, Seeks Faster Refinery Revival
In his remarks, NUPENG President Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti commended Tinubu for taking what he described as the bold decision to remove the fuel subsidy.
Oladiti said the policy had ended decades of financial drain and helped free resources for critical infrastructure and other sectors of the economy.
He also praised the administration’s renewed focus on the rehabilitation and construction of major highways across the country.
He cited the ongoing 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as notable examples of the government’s infrastructure drive.
“For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all,” Oladiti said, noting that improved highways would help reduce accidents, fuel spillages and loss of lives involving tanker drivers and other road users.
However, the NUPENG president urged the Federal Government to sustain its efforts to revive Nigeria’s refineries, arguing that functional refineries would strengthen the country’s energy security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and create more employment opportunities for Nigerians.
At the end of the meeting, the NUPENG leadership decorated President Tinubu as the **Grand Patron of the union**.