The House of Representatives has launched a probe into over $18 billion spent on Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, which remain non-functional despite decades of rehabilitation efforts.
The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to investigate the non-functionality of Nigeria’s three state-owned refineries despite more than $18 billion reportedly spent on their rehabilitation over the past two decades.
The decision followed a motion by lawmaker Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, who lamented that the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries remain comatose despite repeated promises and massive investments. “The revelation by the NNPC GCEO confirms that despite huge budgetary allocations over the years, the refineries remain non-functional,” Whingan said, describing the situation as a betrayal of public trust.
He recalled that the refineries were briefly sold in 2007 to Alhaji Aliko Dangote and other private investors under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but the deal was reversed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, leading to years of fruitless government-led rehabilitation.
The motion was referred to relevant House Committees to probe all funds appropriated between 2010 and 2024, assess the current status of the refineries, and identify agencies or individuals linked to mismanagement.
The committees are to report back within four weeks.