Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, once touted as symbols of industrial rebirth, have again become the center of a growing credibility crisis, as mounting inconsistencies in statements and policy reversals by NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari continue to fuel public outrage, industry skepticism, and calls for accountability.
When the Port Harcourt Refinery was abruptly shut down in May 2025, Nigerians were officially told it was merely for a routine “scheduled maintenance” expected to last 30 days. That assurance was positioned as a temporary technical pause following billions of dollars already sunk into rehabilitation projects. Yet more than a year later, both Port Harcourt and Warri refineries remain largely dormant, with no meaningful commercial refining output restored.
Fresh revelations from engineers and insiders familiar with refinery operations have since raised troubling questions, with reports indicating the facilities were not due for any major scheduled maintenance at the time they were shut down. Instead, critics allege that the closures were part of a broader strategic shift under Ojulari and his downstream leadership, one that was never transparently communicated to Nigerians.
The contradictions only deepened on the global stage.
At an international energy forum weeks after the shutdown, Ojulari openly indicated that Nigeria was seeking buyers and strategic investors for the refineries, signaling what many interpreted as an impending divestment strategy. Facing swift backlash from domestic stakeholders, organized labor, industry experts, and ordinary Nigerians, he later backtracked, insisting he had been “misquoted.” Reuters similarly reported that NNPC was pursuing equity partnerships rather than outright sale, though the confusion around the messaging remained significant.
Not long after, Ojulari shifted his narrative again, arguing that while the refineries were technically functional, they were not commercially viable, effectively suggesting that the massive rehabilitation spending had produced facilities unable to sustainably compete.
Then came another dramatic policy turn.
In late April 2026, during a visit to China, Ojulari signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Sanjiang Chemical Company and Xingcheng (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd to “restart, rehabilitate, and expand” the same refineries previously described as functional but commercially weak. NNPC’s own press release framed the deal as essential to “revive” both Port Harcourt and Warri facilities.
That language has sparked fierce criticism.
Energy analysts, refinery veterans, and public commentators have questioned how assets previously presented as operational can simultaneously require “revival.” Critics argue that the terminology itself exposes inconsistencies in NNPC’s official narrative and raises concerns over whether previous rehabilitation claims were overstated.
Further controversy surrounds the Chinese partners themselves. Public scrutiny has intensified over claims that one participating company appears to have stronger industrial park or property management exposure than refinery operating pedigree, while concerns have also been raised over the financial health of another partner. While these claims require deeper independent verification, they have amplified skepticism around the structure and credibility of the agreement.
For many Nigerians, the broader concern is no longer just about refinery repairs, but about governance, transparency, and whether billions in public resources have been repeatedly deployed under shifting narratives without clear strategic consistency.
With over $2.4 billion already committed to refinery rehabilitation over recent years, repeated shutdowns, policy reversals, and conflicting public statements have increasingly made Nigeria’s refinery program look less like a coherent industrial recovery plan and more like a revolving cycle of costly uncertainty.
Stakeholders are now demanding:
Independent technical audits of refinery conditions
Full public disclosure of rehabilitation expenditures
Transparent vetting of new technical partners
Legislative oversight on all refinery-related agreements
As Nigeria continues to battle fuel insecurity despite being Africa’s top crude producer, the refinery question is no longer simply whether the plants can work, but whether the public can trust the leadership managing them.
