President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to fully restore Nigeria’s moribund refineries, insisting the nation’s massive historical investments in the facilities will not be allowed to go to waste.
He outlined a rigorous, restructuring-driven turnaround rather than quick fixes, during an audience with the National Executive of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at the State House on Thursday.
Receiving the union’s leadership led by National President Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, Tinubu declared that the refineries would be systematically reset, overhauled, and repositioned to operate profitably and deliver real national value.
“We are going back to work on the refineries, but not just to light flames and send up smoke. A refinery is not working until it is profitable and yields the value for which it was built,” the President stated. “We are undertaking a thorough reset and structural reworking of the economics behind them, supported by in-depth research and leadership.”
Rejecting the urge to dwell on past setbacks, Tinubu said: “I have inherited both the assets and liabilities of my predecessors. Whatever happened before is now my responsibility to fix and fix it we shall, for the greatest common good of our people.”
Tinubu said the administration will pursue a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy to revive the facilities as Federal authorities will commission detailed technical assessments to diagnose structural, operational, financial, and management bottlenecks, then roll out sustainable, long-term solutions instead of temporary interventions.
Beyond refineries, Tinubu confirmed that constitutional questions around local government autonomy are under review, and promised greater labour inclusion in the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
He challenged NUPENG to help ensure the benefits of the CNG transition reach ordinary commuters. He also paid tribute to late union leader Frank Kokori, hailing his contributions to Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
In a landmark show of alignment, NUPENG formally commended the administration’s bold economic reforms — particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, calling it a courageous decision that has ended decades of resource drain and freed funds for critical development.
Comrade Oladiti told the President: “Subsidy removal has begun to yield enormous benefits, redirecting billions toward infrastructure and other priority sectors. This is a reform our members feel in their bones.” He specifically lauded ongoing flagship projects including the 750km Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,068km Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, noting that safer roads mean fewer tanker accidents, fewer spills, and fewer lives lost.
Oladiti nonetheless urged sustained action on the refineries, noting that domestic refining would strengthen national energy security, cut costly imports, and create fresh jobs in the sector. At the close of the visit, NUPENG conferred on President Tinubu the honorary title of Grand Patron of the Union.
Information Minister Alhaji Mohammed Idris described the union’s endorsement as “uncommon and significant.”
He recalled that labour leaders had previously given the President a standing ovation after he approved wage hikes and promised regular minimum-wage reviews, commitments that set a new tone of constructive engagement between government and workers.
“For a major, influential union to come and openly acknowledge the positive impact of government reforms is rare and deeply encouraging,” Idris said.
“It signals mutual respect and shared purpose.”
President Tinubu concluded with a call for patience and unity. “Democracy is like childbirth — painful at first, but the joy lasts forever,” he said. “Let us work together with diligence and passion. I promise you: a better Nigeria is within our reach.”
