“Nigeria’s refineries are going to come back to work” — Tinubu declares

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given oil and gas workers his word that Nigeria’s long-dormant refineries will be brought back to life.

The President made the pledge on Thursday at the State House in Abuja during a meeting with the national executive of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, led by National President Salimon Akanni Oladiti.

“We’re Resetting The Entire Structure”

Responding to NUPENG’s demand for refinery revival, Tinubu said the government will take a deliberate, data-driven approach rather than quick fixes.

According to him, comprehensive technical and financial audits will be carried out to pinpoint the structural, operational and managerial problems that have crippled the facilities over the years. Sustainable solutions will follow.

“The refineries you mentioned are going to come back to work,” Tinubu assured. “We’re doing a firm reset — a complete structural reworking of how they function.”

The President warned against optics over outcomes.

“Ordinary flame and smoke from a refinery doesn’t mean it’s working. The real test is profitability and the value it delivers to Nigerians,” he said.

“I Take Responsibility”

Tinubu said he had accepted the burden of fixing assets inherited from past administrations.

“No matter what happened in the years before, it is now my responsibility as President to fix it and make it work for the greatest good of our people. I take responsibility, and we will deliver,” he stated.

Other Key Issues Discussed

On local government autonomy, the President said constitutional concerns were under review and called for patience from stakeholders as the government fine-tunes implementation.

He also paid tribute to the late former NUPENG President, Frank Kokori, recalling their joint struggle for Nigeria’s democracy.

“We fought for this democratic dispensation together. It was tough, and you have remained a solid partner in progress,” Tinubu said.

He further promised NUPENG a bigger role in the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, and urged the union to ensure commuters feel the impact.

NUPENG Commends Tinubu, Seeks More Action

Earlier, Oladiti applauded the President for removing fuel subsidy, calling it a bold move that has freed funds for infrastructure like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway.

“For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all,” Oladiti noted.

He urged sustained efforts to revive the refineries, arguing that functional plants would boost energy security, cut import dependence, and create jobs.

The NUPENG delegation later conferred on Tinubu the title of Grand Patron of the union.