Trending 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that Nigeria’s refineries will be restored to functionality after a comprehensive review, restructuring and technical assessment aimed at ensuring they deliver value and profitability.
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 call to revive the nation’s refineries, President Tinubu said the facilities would not be allowed to remain idle after years of investment. He explained that the government would adopt an evidence-based approach to address the structural, operational, financial and management challenges affecting the refineries.
“The refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work; we’re just building a very firm reset and structural reworking of the economy of it,” Tinubu said.
He added that the mere operation of a refinery does not necessarily indicate success, noting that the facilities must be able to generate profit and provide the value for which they were established.
“Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean that it is working until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built,” the President said.
Tinubu said his administration had accepted responsibility for managing the country’s assets and liabilities, promising to address longstanding challenges affecting critical sectors.
“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 added.
The President also addressed the implementation of local government autonomy, saying constitutional issues surrounding the policy were being reviewed for possible adjustments. He appealed for cooperation among stakeholders as the process continues.
Tinubu acknowledged the contributions of the late former NUPENG President, Frank Kokori, to Nigeria’s democratic struggle, describing him as a partner in the fight for democratic governance.
The President further promised greater involvement for NUPENG in the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative, while urging the union to ensure the benefits of the programme reach ordinary commuters.
Meanwhile, NUPENG President Oladiti praised Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy, describing it as a bold move that had prevented further depletion of national resources.
He also commended ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, saying improved roads would reduce accidents and enhance safety for tanker drivers and other road users.
Oladiti, however, urged the government to sustain efforts to revive the refineries, saying that functional facilities would improve energy security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and create more employment opportunities.
The meeting ended with NUPENG decorating President Tinubu as the union’s Grand Patron.
