Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that Nigeria’s state-owned refineries under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited may never become fully functional again, blaming years of corruption, neglect and poor management.
Obasanjo made the remarks during a television interview aired on Saturday, as NNPC continues efforts to secure technical partners to run the Port Harcourt Refinery, Warri Refinery and Kaduna Refinery.
According to him, previous attempts to revive the facilities have failed because the plants were too small, poorly maintained and surrounded by entrenched corruption, making them unattractive to serious investors.
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The former president also pointed to the success of the Nigeria LNG Limited public-private partnership model, arguing that stronger private sector participation is the best route for Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
Obasanjo further recalled that a past arrangement involving Aliko Dangote to acquire stakes in two refineries was later reversed, while billions of dollars have since been spent on rehabilitation with little visible progress.
His comments are expected to reignite debate over whether Nigeria should continue repairing government-owned refineries or fully embrace private refining led by projects such as the Dangote Refinery.
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