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Obasanjo stirs up hornet’s nest, says ‘NNPCL refineries may never work again’
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In what can be considered as controversial statement and in line with his characteristic stance that usually attracts divergent views, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna many never work again in spite of the NNPCL’s efforts to secure technical partners for the refineries.
Speaking during a televised interview on Sony Irabor Live , Obasanjo pointed to structural and historical challenges that, in his view, have continued to undermine the refineries’ performance.
He said, “One of the lessons that I learnt is that PPP (public-private partnership) works. Look, one project that has not been destroyed by the government in Nigeria is the NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas), where the private sector has 51 per cent, and the Nigerian government has 49 per cent.
“See what we did with Nigerian railways. See what we did with the national shipping company. See what we are doing now, even with the NNPCL . The NNPCL has refineries, and I said to people that it may never work. And a man had the audacity to say, ‘Am I a chemical engineer?”
The former president recalled past attempts during his administration to attract global operators, including Shell, to manage the refineries under a partnership model. According to him, those efforts did not yield results.
“Look, when I was there, I called Shell. I said, ‘Look, please, I beg you, come and take 10 per cent equity and run the refinery for us.’ They said no. I said, ‘Okay, if you don’t want to take equity, don’t take equity. Come and run the refineries. They said no,” he stated.
He further explained that discussions with company officials highlighted commercial and operational concerns that influenced their decision.
“So, I called him, and I said, ‘Tell me, be honest with me. Why don’t you want to handle this?’ He said first, they want to let me know that they make most of their profits on the upstream, not the downstream.”
He said they run their downstream without making a loss, but they don’t make a lot of profit from it. It’s more of a service than a major profit-making. So that’s number one.
“Number two: he said our refineries are too small. This was when I was an elected President. He said our refineries are too small. One is 60,000 barrels, and another is 100,000 barrels. He said refineries at that time were in the range of 250,000 barrels to 300,000 barrels. Number three: he said our refineries are not well-maintained. We call quacks and amateurs to come and maintain our refineries. The refineries are not in good order. He said, ‘Number four, there’s too much corruption around our refineries, and they don’t want to be part of that,” Obasanjo explained.
Obasanjo also revisited a previous transaction involving the Dangote Group, led by Aliko Dangote, which he said offered a pathway for private sector participation at the time.
“Until one day, Aliko (Dangote) came and offered $750m to take two of the refineries; that will be 51 per cent. I said, ‘Wow, God, you are really a God of miracles.’ I told Aliko to bring the money quickly. They brought the money, and they paid,” he said.
He noted, however, that the arrangement did not endure beyond his tenure, following a policy reversal under his successor, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Obasanjo said, “When I left office, NNPC went to my successor and convinced him. So I got up. I went to Umar. I said, ‘Look, Umar, maybe you don’t know; this is why we did what we did.’ He said, ‘Well, NNPC came to me.’ I said, ‘But you know that NNPCL cannot run this thing. He said he knew. I asked, ‘Then why did you give in? He said because of pressure. And I said, ‘Look, when you sell these refineries, you will not get $200million for them, because you will sell them as scrap.’”
Obasanjo further referenced recent disclosures by the current NNPCL leadership, noting that , “Only the present NNPCL head has told the country the truth. But in the meantime, I was told that they have spent about $16bn, which is only $4bn short of what Aliko used to build Africa’s largest refinery,” the former President said.
The current Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, had earlier indicated that despite rehabilitation efforts and the brief reopening of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries in 2024, the facilities remain below global performance benchmarks, affecting their competitiveness.
In November 2025, NNPCL set a June 2026 target to conclude the selection of technical partners, a move seen as part of broader reforms to improve efficiency and output.
Meanwhile, Dangote has maintained that his decision to establish a privately owned refinery followed the earlier reversal of the refinery sale, adding that the future of the state-owned facilities remains uncertain.
President Bola Tinubu has said that his administration was building road infrastructure to lay the needed physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy, stressing that education, justice, and innovation need roads to thrive.
Tinubu stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while flagging off the construction of Collector Road CO1 in the Institutional Research District, from Nile University to Ring Road III.
Represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, the President said that the project included dualisation of the road from Baze University roundabout to Nile University, that is the Base University.
He noted that three years into his administration, the results were speaking out.
“From the Southern Parkway to the Institution and Research District, we are laying the physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy.
“Today, we provide those roads that are needed to provide justice, education, and innovation to our people.
“To the university community, this road is more than a route. It is a connection between learning, law, and the future of our capital,” he said.
He pointed out that the Institution and Research District was designed to be the intellectual heart of Abuja, adding that universities, law chambers, research centers, and innovation hubs were growing in the area.
He, however, stressed that ideas could not move if roads do not move and connect the heart and people together.
Tinubu further said: “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we made a choice to finish what was started and to start what we must finish.
“The first phase of this corridor connecting the Body of Benchers, Nile, and Base University is done and ready for commissioning. Today, we begin the next phase to Ring Road III to complete the loop.
“That is how we build a city—with a plan. Not a city of abandoned pieces. Infrastructure must be continuous, and it must also be useful to the people within the environment”.
He commended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for turning FCT into a delivery agency, stressing that the transformation of Abuja under the minister’s watch is bold, visible and worthy of commendation.
He said, “Wike, your energy is unmatched. You took over a capital with many stalled projects and turned the FCTA into a delivery agency. ‘Mr. Projects’ is not a slogan, it is a record. You have revived sleeping roads, built new interchanges, and brought development to satellite towns. You have domesticated the Renewed Hope Agenda; street by street, district by district. The transformation of Abuja under your watch is bold, visible, and worthy of commendation. Well done, Minister Wike.”
In his remarks, Wike explained that the project was considered following a plea by the Body of Benchers to provide access roads to ease the movement of people in and out of the area.
He assured FCT residents that the Tinubu administration would fulfill all the promises made to the people of FCT, adding that the project would be completed by January 2027.
The minister said that he would continue to deliver life-impacting projects to FCT residents as directed by Tinubu, stressing that the delivery would not be affected by 2027 political activities.
Earlier, acting Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Richard Dauda, said that the Institutional Research District of the FCT is located in Phase III of the city.
Dauda said that the area was planned to accommodate educational institutions like universities, research institutions, and other government institutions as provided in the Abuja master plan.
He added that the district was being developed in stages, with this project being a major intervention in the opening of this district.
He explained that the scope of the current stage involved the construction of Collector Road CO1, from the Nile University to Ring Road III with a total length of about six kilometres.
He added that the project also included the dualisation of the section from the Base University Junction to Nile University.
Tragedy struck in northern Nigeria following reports that two abducted victims, including a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State, have died while in captivity.
The deceased, Alhaji Muhammadu Mai Barga Besse, who previously served as APC chairman in the local government area, was reportedly held hostage by armed kidnappers for an extended period before his death. Another victim who was abducted alongside him was also confirmed dead, although his identity had not been officially disclosed at the time of filing this report.
The sad development comes months after disturbing videos emerged online showing the victims in dire conditions while being held captive in the notorious Birnin Gwari forest.
The footage sparked widespread concern among family members, political associates and members of the public who called for urgent intervention to secure their release.
Despite efforts made during their captivity, both men were reportedly never reunited with their families before their deaths.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the persistent security challenges facing communities across northern Nigeria.
The Birnin Gwari axis, located along the Kaduna-Niger corridor, has become one of the country’s most dangerous regions, with criminal gangs and armed bandits frequently carrying out kidnappings, attacks on villages and other violent crimes.
Residents and stakeholders have repeatedly called on security agencies to intensify operations in the area and dismantle criminal hideouts within the vast forest, which has long served as a sanctuary for armed groups.
News of the deaths has generated an outpouring of grief on social media, with many Nigerians expressing sadness over the fate of the victims and urging authorities to strengthen efforts against kidnapping and banditry.
Popular social media personality Denglishalhajii also shared the development on Instagram, mourning the victims and drawing attention to the growing insecurity affecting many parts of the region.
The deaths of the former APC chairman and his fellow captive have further underscored the human cost of the country’s security crisis, leaving families, friends and political associates in mourning while raising renewed concerns about the safety of citizens in vulnerable communities.
President Bola Tinubu has asked the senate to approve a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The request was contained in a letter dated June 15, 2026, and read on the floor of the senate on Tuesday by Godswill Akpabio.
In the correspondence, Tinubu said the proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 1999 constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation of state police services.
The president said the bill is designed to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges by introducing a dual policing structure that would allow both federal and state policing systems to operate within a constitutional framework.
According to him, the proposal builds on previous legislative efforts by both chambers of the national assembly and contains additional safeguards to ensure effective implementation.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges, will be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
The president described the proposed legislation as a key component of his administration’s broader plan to reform Nigeria’s security system and improve the protection of lives and property.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganize Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I’m confident that the Senate will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
Read Also: Amnesty International Demands Immediate Release of Omoyele Sowore, Condemns Detention
Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the proposal expeditious consideration.
Following the reading of the letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the senate committee on constitution review for further legislative action.
The committee was directed to report back to the chamber on the next legislative day.
Photos: We’re building infrastructure for a knowledge-driven economy – Tinubu
Just in: Kidnapped APC Chairman, Another Victim Die in Abductors hideout
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