President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured oil workers that Nigeria’s four refineries will return to full and profitable operations.
He gave the assurance on Thursday when he received the newly elected leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the State House, Abuja.
Tinubu said his administration had accepted responsibility for reviving the refineries and would focus on ensuring that they generate sustainable economic value.
Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna have struggled to operate consistently despite billions of naira spent on rehabilitation by previous administrations.
The President said his government was pursuing a “structural reset” of the economy and would not blame previous administrations for the condition of the facilities. He also defended the removal of petrol subsidy, saying the reform had strengthened the ability of the federal, state and local governments to meet their financial obligations.
Tinubu said details of how resources saved from the subsidy removal had been utilised would soon be published.
The President also urged transport operators to pass on savings from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to commuters. He said CNG had reduced operating costs for transport providers, but the savings were not reaching passengers quickly enough.
Meanwhile, NUPENG President Salimon Oladiti asked Tinubu to intervene in the casualisation of workers in the upstream oil and gas sector.
Oladiti said the union had engaged some affected companies without resolving the issue and warned that the practice was becoming increasingly concerning.
The union also commended the government’s highway rehabilitation projects, saying better roads had improved safety for petroleum tanker drivers.
It called for similar attention to the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company depots, suggesting that some could be handed to private investors under equity arrangements.
NUPENG further urged the President to ensure that state governments comply with the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy. The union subsequently conferred its Grand Patron title on Tinubu.
