President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will not abandon the country’s refineries, promising a comprehensive restructuring to make the facilities productive, efficient, and commercially viable.
The President gave the assurance on Thursday, August 13, 2026, when he received the National Executive of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, at the State House in Abuja.
The delegation, led by NUPENG National President, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, appealed to the Federal Government to sustain efforts to restore Nigeria’s refineries, arguing that functional facilities would strengthen energy security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and create more employment opportunities.
Responding, Tinubu said his administration would not rely on temporary measures but would undertake detailed technical, financial, and operational assessments to determine the problems affecting the refineries and develop sustainable solutions.
According to the President, restarting a refinery should not be regarded as a success unless the facility can operate efficiently and generate economic value.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He added that merely seeing flames or smoke from a refinery does not mean the facility is functioning effectively if it cannot operate profitably.
Nigeria’s state-owned refineries have remained a major public concern for years, especially because the country has spent significant resources on maintenance and rehabilitation while still relying heavily on imported refined petroleum products.
Tinubu told the NUPENG leadership that rather than continuing to blame previous administrations for the problems, he was prepared to take responsibility for finding workable solutions.
“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. I take responsibility for that, and we will do it,” he said.
The President’s emphasis on profitability is significant because Nigerians have repeatedly questioned the economic value of continued public spending on refinery rehabilitation.
For the administration, the challenge will therefore go beyond reopening the facilities. The bigger test will be whether they can maintain consistent production, operate efficiently, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s energy market without becoming a recurring financial burden.
During the meeting, NUPENG also praised the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Oladiti described the decision as bold, saying the previous subsidy system had drained government finances and national resources for many years.
According to him, ending the subsidy has freed up resources that can now be directed towards infrastructure and other areas of national development.
The removal of the subsidy remains one of the most far-reaching economic decisions taken by the Tinubu administration. While government officials have repeatedly argued that the policy was necessary to stabilise public finances, many Nigerians have also experienced higher transportation and living costs since the change.
This means the long-term public assessment of the reform will depend largely on whether the savings generated translate into visible improvements in roads, transportation, healthcare, education, and other public services.
The NUPENG President also praised the administration’s road construction and rehabilitation projects, highlighting the 750-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway.
Oladiti said improved highways are particularly important to petroleum tanker drivers who spend long hours transporting products across the country.
“For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all,” he said.
He noted that better highways could reduce accidents, spillages, travel stress, and other risks faced by tanker drivers and road users.
For Nigerians generally, improved road infrastructure could also reduce transportation delays, lower vehicle maintenance costs, and support the movement of goods across the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the union’s support for the administration’s policies as encouraging.
He said it was unusual for a major trade union to openly acknowledge the positive aspects of government reforms, especially given the often difficult relationship between organised labour and government over economic policies.
Idris also recalled previous discussions between President Tinubu and labour leaders over the national minimum wage.
According to the minister, the government’s engagement with organised labour has helped reduce tensions and improve understanding between both sides.
He argued that NUPENG’s recognition of reforms such as subsidy removal and infrastructure development showed that some of the government’s policies were beginning to receive acknowledgement from important stakeholders.
President Tinubu also promised greater inclusion of NUPENG in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG.
The initiative is part of the Federal Government’s effort to provide alternative transportation fuel and reduce dependence on petrol.
Tinubu, however, challenged the union to ensure that the benefits of the programme reach ordinary commuters.
For the CNG initiative to make a significant difference, issues such as vehicle conversion costs, availability of conversion centres and access to refuelling infrastructure will remain important.
Greater participation by petroleum workers and transport operators could help expand adoption, particularly if the programme becomes accessible beyond Nigeria’s major cities.
The meeting also touched on the implementation of local government autonomy.
Tinubu said constitutional issues related to the process were being reviewed and might require further adjustments.
He appealed to stakeholders for understanding as the government works through the legal and administrative challenges involved.
Local government autonomy remains an important national issue because councils are the closest level of government to many communities and are responsible for delivering basic services and grassroots development.
The President also paid tribute to the late former NUPENG leader and pro-democracy activist, Frank Kokori, recalling their involvement in Nigeria’s struggle for democratic rule.
“We struggled for this democratic dispensation together, and it was very tough for us to have this democracy,” Tinubu said.
He urged NUPENG members to continue supporting democratic governance and expressed confidence that current economic difficulties would eventually give way to improved conditions.
At the end of the meeting, NUPENG leaders decorated President Tinubu as the Grand Patron of the union.
The renewed commitment to revive Nigeria’s refineries matters because petroleum products remain central to transportation, manufacturing, electricity generation, and the overall cost of doing business.
Greater domestic refining capacity could strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, reduce exposure to international supply disruptions, and create employment across the petroleum value chain.
However, Nigerians are likely to judge the latest refinery promise by measurable results.
After years of rehabilitation efforts and substantial public spending, restarting the facilities alone may not be enough to convince the public that the investments have delivered value.
The administration will need to demonstrate that the refineries can operate efficiently, maintain production, and contribute sustainably to the economy.
Tinubu’s decision to place profitability at the centre of the refinery strategy therefore sets a clear standard against which the programme can eventually be assessed.
For Nigerians, the key question remains whether these reforms, from refinery rehabilitation to road construction and alternative energy programmes, will ultimately reduce economic pressure and improve everyday living conditions.
