News
Minister Urges NNPCL to Abandon State Refineries and Invest in Dangote
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to cease operations at Nigeria’s struggling Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri refineries.
He urged the company to instead shift focus toward acquiring a larger equity stake in the Dangote Refinery, a private sector-driven enterprise that is already making significant strides in boosting the country’s petroleum refining capacity.
Lokpobiri’s recommendation was made public during his speech at the ongoing Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria Summit in Lagos.
In his address, Lokpobiri, represented by Dangana Tende, Deputy Director of Upstream at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, stressed that the government is committed to fully implementing deregulation in the downstream sector of the oil industry.
He emphasized that NNPCL’s future should be tied to investment in private refineries, such as the Dangote Refinery, rather than operating outdated state-run refineries that have continuously failed to meet expectations.
He noted that “we urge the state oil company to take equity in the other upcoming refineries rather than focus on running state-owned ones.
The government will ensure that downstream deregulation is implemented 100 percent.”
This bold statement comes at a time when Nigeria’s four major refineries – Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri – have remained non-functional for nearly 24 years, despite significant financial injections for turnaround maintenance.
These facilities, with a combined capacity of 445,000 barrels per day, have yet to produce any substantial output in decades, making Nigeria reliant on imports for refined petroleum products.
Over the years, the NNPCL has repeatedly made promises to bring the Port Harcourt Refinery back online, setting several deadlines for the production of petroleum products.
However, none of these targets have been met, and the refinery continues to drain resources without delivering results.
This situation has heightened the need for a shift in strategy, which Lokpobiri has firmly advocated for.
Meanwhile, the Dangote Refinery has emerged as a game-changer for Nigeria’s oil industry.
With a refining capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the facility began distributing Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) on September 15, 2024, with NNPCL acting as the sole off-taker.
This move is expected to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel and stabilize the local market.
Currently, NNPCL holds only a 7.2 percent stake in the Dangote Refinery, a figure that Lokpobiri believes should be increased to reflect the government’s commitment to supporting private initiatives that contribute to national energy security.
He highlighted that investing more in the Dangote Refinery and other private refineries would be more beneficial for Nigeria’s future than continuing to pump resources into moribund state-run facilities.
The call to abandon the state-owned refineries has sparked conversations about the future of Nigeria’s oil industry, especially as the country moves towards full deregulation of the downstream sector.
Lokpobiri’s recommendation underscores the government’s intention to foster a competitive and efficient oil sector driven by private enterprise, as well as its determination to end the era of wasteful spending on refineries that offer little return on investment.
WAEC has debunked rumours that the English Language paper written on May 28 was cancelled. The exam, part of the ongoing WASSCE for school candidates, faced serious delays at several centres across the country. In some places, the paper meant to start by 9 a.m. didn’t begin until late at night, leaving students to write under poor conditions, with many using phone flashlights and torchlights to read their questions.
WAEC explained that it received reports of a possible paper leak and had to act fast to protect the credibility of the exam. But contrary to claims making rounds on social media, the council made it clear the paper was not cancelled. In a statement by Moyosola Adesina, the acting Head of Public Affairs, WAEC said a press release dated May 30 announcing the cancellation was fake and not from the council.
She said WAEC doesn’t know where the false information came from, but suspects it was shared by individuals trying to create panic and damage the council’s image. The Head of WAEC’s National Office, Amos Dangut, also commented on the situation, saying the late-night exams held in some areas were far below the council’s standards.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hosted Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, for a private meeting at his Lagos residence on Monday. The governor was joined by his older brother, prominent businessman Chief Adedeji Adeleke, and his son, the internationally popular Afrobeats star David Adeleke, better known as Davido.
The visit was confirmed by President Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, who shared the news on X the following day. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, accompanied by Chief Adedeji Adeleke and Afrobeats superstar Davido, at his Lagos home,” Olusegun posted.
So far, no details have been shared about the purpose of the meeting, and neither the Presidency nor the Adeleke family has made an official statement. Photos from the gathering have appeared online, offering a rare glimpse into the private talks between the President and the Adeleke family.
Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has shared his advice on how President Bola Tinubu should handle Peter Obi and the Obidient Movement. Omokri suggests that instead of engaging with their negativity, Tinubu’s government should focus on highlighting its achievements and ongoing projects to outshine the critics.
Writing on X, Omokri emphasized the visible progress happening across Nigeria, especially in Abuja and Lagos. He pointed to major infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is being built simultaneously from both ends, as well as the reconstruction of the Ile-Ife to Sokoto-Badagry Expressway and the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
“There’s development happening everywhere,” Omokri said. “The government should use every platform—TV, radio, print, social media—to showcase these efforts.” He also took a swipe at Obi’s supporters, saying, “While they praise leaders like Traoré, who hasn’t even reached the level of a local council chairman in Lagos, they criticize Nigeria harshly. Just the Third Mainland Bridge alone is worth half of Burkina Faso’s GDP.”
Omokri concluded by suggesting that if Obidients have nothing positive to say about Nigeria, perhaps they should consider moving to Burkina Faso.
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