The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), South-East, Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to restoring Nigeria’s refineries to sustainable and profitable operations.
Arodiogbu reacted to President Tinubu’s remarks during a visit by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), where he assured that the nation’s refineries would return to work.
In a press statement issued in Awka, he described the move as part of the broader restructuring of the petroleum sector and the Nigerian economy.
According to him, “President Tinubu has made it clear that the objective is not simply to restart refineries for the sake of appearances. The real goal is to build a petroleum refining system that is efficient, commercially sustainable and capable of creating value for Nigerians.”
The APC South-East leader said the administration’s approach represented a fundamental shift from the past, when public assets could remain operational on paper without delivering commensurate economic returns.
He noted that a functional domestic refining industry would have significant implications for Nigeria’s energy security, foreign exchange management, industrial development and employment generation.
Arodiogbu further commended the President for recognising the need for structural reforms, proper management and commercial discipline in the petroleum sector.
He said the administration’s efforts to reset the downstream petroleum sector should be viewed as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the Nigerian economy and reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products.
“The President is looking beyond the immediate optics. He is talking about sustainability, profitability and value creation. That is the mindset required to transform Nigeria’s petroleum industry into a genuine engine of national development,” he said.
He also urged stakeholders in the petroleum sector, including labour unions, industry operators and policymakers, to support reforms to ensure Nigeria’s refineries and other strategic economic assets function efficiently.
Arodiogbu maintained that the successful revival of domestic refining capacity would strengthen local industries, create jobs, support ancillary businesses and retain more economic value within Nigeria.
He said Nigerians should therefore remain patient with the ongoing restructuring, assuring that the ultimate objective of the Renewed Hope Agenda is to build an economy where public investments generate measurable and sustainable benefits for citizens.
“What Nigerians need is not merely a refinery that is burning fuel, but a refinery that is producing efficiently, competing commercially, creating jobs and contributing meaningfully to the national economy. That is the difference between cosmetic revival and genuine economic transformation,” Arodiogbu added.
