BREAKING: NNPC Refineries May Never Work Again — Dangote Declares

Billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote’s stark assessment of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, which have consumed approximately $18 billion in rehabilitation efforts yet remain non-functional.

Dangote, speaking during a tour of his 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, likened the turnaround maintenance of the aging Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to “modernizing a car built 40 years ago,” arguing that outdated technology and systemic inefficiencies make their revival nearly impossible.

His comments echo former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s criticism of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), accusing it of perpetuating corruption and mismanagement while obstructing private-sector solutions, such as Dangote’s earlier attempt to acquire the refineries in 2007.

The debate over the NNPC refineries has intensified amid calls for privatization, with industry experts and groups like the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria labeling the facilities a drain on the economy.

Dangote’s refinery, which dedicates over 50% of its output to petrol production, contrasts sharply with the state refineries’ 22% output before their collapse, underscoring the inefficiency of public-sector management.

Meanwhile, legal battles between Dangote and NNPC over fuel import permits and crude supply shortages further highlight the tensions between private innovation and entrenched bureaucratic hurdles.

As Dangote’s refinery reduces petrol prices and expands exports, the failure of NNPC’s refineries serves as a cautionary tale of wasted resources and missed opportunities for energy self-sufficiency. [CONTINUE READING HERE]>>>>