Former Nigerian Minister of Tourism, Femi Fani-Kayode, has strongly criticised critics of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) following the recent revival of the Port Harcourt Refinery. In a statement released on his official X handle late Thursday, Fani-Kayode alleged that some private sector players in the oil and gas industry were attempting to undermine the revitalisation of the refinery, specifically targeting the efforts of the NNPCL leadership.
Fani-Kayode’s comments come after the NNPCL announced the commencement of petroleum product trucking from the Port Harcourt Refinery on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone after years of dormancy. The move has been met with skepticism by some, including Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, who questioned the quality of the product, suggesting that the refinery had only trucked out old stock rather than freshly refined petroleum.
However, Fani-Kayode was quick to defend the efforts of the NNPCL and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the revitalization of the Port Harcourt Refinery should be celebrated as a major victory for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. He also directed his criticism at Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Refinery, stating that the oil business should not be viewed as just another commodity business like sugar, cement, or rice.
In his statement, Fani-Kayode said: “The oil business is not the same as selling sugar, spaghetti, cement, or rice, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot muscle your way and create a monopoly on the sale of refined products as you did for other commodities over the years.”
He went on to suggest that the criticisms of the Port Harcourt Refinery’s revival were part of a deliberate campaign by some in the private sector to discredit NNPCL’s achievements and the leadership of the company, particularly its Group Managing Director (GMD), Mele Kyari. Fani-Kayode also called for unity among all players in the sector, stressing that the success of NNPCL’s refineries should be seen as a collective victory for Nigeria, not just for one entity.
“It is a pity that some elements in the private sector who are new in the field are doing all they can to undermine and understate this great victory for Nigeria,” Fani-Kayode stated. He further added: “NNPC will go from strength to strength, and once its other refineries are working as well, Nigerians will have cause to smile again. Let the new kid on the block flourish, but let the NNPC refineries flourish too. That should be our goal and not a squalid attempt to discredit NNPC and its leadership.”
The Port Harcourt Refinery, which has been dormant for several years, has been one of the key focal points of Nigeria’s efforts to revitalize its oil and gas industry. The refinery’s revival is seen as a critical part of the government’s broader strategy to boost local refining capacity and reduce Nigeria’s dependency on imported petroleum products.
Fani-Kayode went on to praise President Tinubu’s leadership, highlighting the importance of the refinery’s revival as part of the government’s broader economic recovery plan. He also commended Mele Kyari for his leadership, calling him a symbol of Nigeria’s renewed hope in the petroleum sector. “Every optimistic and true lover of Nigeria’s progress and President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda must be proud of the GMD Mele Kyari. His tenacity, bravery, ingenuity, and forthrightness have been rewarded with this great feat. Surely this is hope renewed for Nigerians.”
The announcement of the Port Harcourt Refinery’s return to production follows months of refurbishment work aimed at bringing the plant back online. The NNPCL has expressed its commitment to ensuring that the refinery, along with other refineries across the country, operates at full capacity to meet domestic fuel demand and contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
As the country grapples with the challenges of fuel imports and refining capacity, the successful restart of the Port Harcourt Refinery represents a crucial step towards achieving greater self-sufficiency in the energy sector. Despite ongoing challenges, the government and NNPCL are hopeful that the refinery will play a key role in reducing the country’s reliance on imported refined products and boosting local production capacity.
