Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised Nigeria’s growing reliance on the Dangote Refinery for fuel supply, questioning the continued inactivity of the country’s four government-owned refineries. Falana raised the concern during an interview on the Politics Today programme on Channels Television.
Falana wondered why the state-owned refineries remain largely dormant despite billions of dollars reportedly spent on their rehabilitation over the years. According to him, the situation suggests that the country has shifted its dependence to the privately owned refinery while public facilities are no longer being discussed or utilised.
He noted that about 2.9 billion dollars had reportedly been spent on the maintenance and rehabilitation of the refineries without visible results, raising concerns about accountability and governance in the nation’s oil sector. Falana therefore urged the Federal Government to review the management of Nigeria’s refining capacity and ensure the state-owned facilities become operational.
The senior lawyer also called for stronger domestic institutions, especially in the security sector, warning that Nigeria must reduce its reliance on foreign powers for stability and national development.
Commenting on global tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, Falana criticised the actions of Donald Trump, accusing him of disregarding international law and United Nations resolutions. He urged Nigeria to work with other nations and engage major powers such as Russia and China through diplomacy to help ease the escalating crisis while reviving the country’s tradition of multilateral engagement.
