The House of Representatives on Thursday directed its relevant committees to investigate the failure of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, despite over $18 billion reportedly spent on their rehabilitation over the past two decades.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Oluwaseun Whingan, representing Badagry Federal Constituency, during plenary presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. Whingan expressed deep concern that despite years of funding and repeated promises of revival, the refineries remain dormant, forcing the nation to rely on imported petroleum products.
Nigeria currently has four government-owned refineries—two in Port Harcourt and one each in Warri and Kaduna—managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). All have been largely inactive due to mismanagement, poor maintenance, and vandalism.
Whingan noted that the House was alarmed by public comments from businessman Aliko Dangote and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, both of whom questioned the viability of the refineries, describing previous investments as wasteful. He recalled that in 2007, Dangote and other investors purchased the refineries, but the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration reversed the sale, opting instead for public-funded rehabilitation — a decision that has yielded no tangible results.
Citing an interview with NNPCL Group CEO Bayo Ojulari, Whingan said the current administration has tried to distance itself from years of mismanagement but admitted the refineries remain non-functional despite massive investment.
He stressed that “the persistent non-performance of these refineries represents a gross misuse of public funds and a betrayal of public trust,” urging an urgent, transparent probe to assess the utilisation of funds and determine accountability.
Following deliberations, the House mandated its Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream, and Midstream), Gas Resources, and Public Assets to investigate the funds spent between 2010 and 2024. The committees are to submit their findings within four weeks for further legislative action.
