Tinubu Vows Profitable Refinery Revival After Reset, Hails NUPENG Reforms Backing
Abuja, Nigeria – August 13, 2026 — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday pledged that Nigeria’s long-troubled state-owned refineries will return to full, profitable operation following a thorough structural and economic reset, as he hosted the national leadership of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the State House.
Speaking to the NUPENG National Executive led by newly elected President Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, Tinubu rejected the idea of allowing the facilities to waste away after years of heavy investment.
He stressed that mere visible activity — “ordinary flame and smoke” — would not count as success until the refineries generate real value and profit.
“The refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work; we’re just building a very firm, resetting, and structural reworking of the economy of it,” the President said. He added that the government would pursue in-depth research, technical assessments, and leadership reforms to tackle structural, operational, financial and managerial challenges rather than relying on short-term fixes.
Tinubu accepted full responsibility for inherited assets and liabilities, declaring:
“No matter what has happened in the years past, it’s now my responsibility as president to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and we will do it.”
NUPENG Praises Bold Reforms
In his remarks, Comrade Oladiti commended the President for the courageous removal of the fuel subsidy, which he described as ending decades of financial drain on national reserves.
He said the policy had freed resources for critical infrastructure, citing the ongoing 750-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as clear examples.
“For our members, a good road is the difference between arriving home safely and never arriving at all,” Oladiti said. “Every stretch of highway rehabilitated or constructed means fewer accidents, fewer spillages, fewer lives lost, and less stress for the men behind the wheels.”
He appealed for sustained efforts to revive the refineries, arguing that functional plants would boost energy security, cut import dependence, and create more jobs for Nigerian workers.
The union later decorated Tinubu as its Grand Patron.
Broader Engagements and Challenges
Tinubu also addressed local government autonomy, noting that constitutional issues were under review and appealing for stakeholder understanding. He paid tribute to the late NUPENG leader Frank Kokori for his role in Nigeria’s democratic struggle and promised greater inclusion of the union in the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), while challenging operators to ensure cost savings reach ordinary commuters.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris described the visit as uncommon, highlighting NUPENG’s public recognition of the administration’s reforms—including subsidy removal and widespread construction activity across the country.
The meeting underscored a rare moment of open alignment between a major oil and gas union and the presidency, as both sides emphasized partnership in pursuing energy security and economic stability.
Whether the promised systematic reset will finally deliver reliable, profitable refining capacity remains the key test ahead for the administration and the workers who depend on it.
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