Obasanjo Warns That Lies Will Be Exposed Over the Reopening of Nigerian Refineries

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has voiced skepticism over the recently announced commencement of operations at Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, raising concerns about their viability and management.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) disclosed the restart of the 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), rehabilitated at a cost of $897 million since approval in 2021. Additionally, a 60,000 bpd phase of the Port Harcourt refinery began refining key fuels a few weeks ago.

The rehabilitation of Nigeria’s four national refineries—located in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt—was contracted by the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari over three years ago. Despite these efforts, Obasanjo remains doubtful about the NNPCL’s ability to sustainably manage these facilities, citing a past decision to reject a $750 million Public-Private Partnership (PPP) offer from billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries in 2007.

In an interview with Channels Television, Obasanjo criticized the rejection of Dangote’s proposal, recounting how his successor refunded the payment and reassured him that the NNPC could run the refineries—a claim he challenged.

Commenting on the recent developments, Obasanjo used a Yoruba proverb to underscore his doubts:
“The man who planted 100 heaps of yam and claims he planted 200 will eventually harvest 100 heaps of yams and 100 heaps of lies in due time. You know what that means.”

Obasanjo’s remarks highlight ongoing concerns about transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s oil sector operations.