Former Nigerian Minister of Tourism, Femi Fani-Kayode, has strongly criticized critics of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) following the recent revival of the Port Harcourt Refinery. Fani-Kayode’s remarks, made in a statement on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, focused on his belief that certain elements within the private sector are attempting to downplay the significance of the refinery’s revitalization.
Fani-Kayode’s comments come amid ongoing skepticism about the operational capabilities of the Port Harcourt Refinery after NNPCL announced that the plant had begun trucking out petroleum products on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in its revival. The refinery, which had been inactive for years, is now once again part of Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure.
Some critics, however, have raised doubts about the quality and credibility of the products being processed at the refinery. Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, claimed in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday that the refinery had only trucked out old stock rather than newly refined petroleum products. This claim has fueled the debate over whether the refinery’s revival can be considered a genuine success.
In response to these criticisms, Fani-Kayode pointed to what he perceives as a coordinated campaign by some figures in the private sector, particularly within the oil and gas industry. He accused these individuals of undermining the efforts of the NNPCL and its leadership, including the Group Managing Director (GMD), Mele Kyari, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the rejuvenation of the refinery.
Fani-Kayode stressed that the revival of the Port Harcourt Refinery should be seen as a major achievement for Nigeria, calling it “one of the most encouraging things that has happened in the petroleum sector for many years.” He also credited the success of the project to the leadership of President Tinubu and GMD Mele Kyari, acknowledging their roles in bringing the refinery back to life.
“The resurrection of the PH refinery is one of the most encouraging things that has happened in the petroleum sector for many years, and the credit for this must go to the President and the GMD of NNPC,” Fani-Kayode said. His statement underlined the significance of the revival, emphasizing that it is a positive development for Nigeria’s energy sector.
Fani-Kayode’s criticism was particularly aimed at private sector figures like Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Refinery, who have been vocal about the competitiveness of the refinery industry. Fani-Kayode argued that these critics, particularly those new to the oil business, were attempting to diminish the achievements of the NNPCL in a bid to protect their own business interests. He noted, “The oil business is not the same as selling sugar, spaghetti, cement, or rice, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot muscle your way and create a monopoly on the sale of refined products as you did for other commodities over the years.”
The former minister also called for a balanced approach to the development of Nigeria’s oil industry, one that supports both state-owned and private refineries. He added, “NNPC will go from strength to strength, and once its other refineries are working as well, Nigerians will have cause to smile again. Let the new kid on the block flourish, but let the NNPC refineries flourish too. That should be our goal and not a squalid attempt to discredit NNPC and its leadership.”
