The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to sell or fully privatise Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, describing them as a major financial burden on the country.
The call was made by Segun Ajayi-Kadiri, Director General of MAN, during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television on Tuesday.
Ajayi-Kadiri specifically pointed to the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, noting that continued government ownership has failed to deliver results and only wastes public resources.
“If you ask me, the government should just sell these refineries,” he said. “Give them to private sector people who will run them efficiently and be able to deliver. When something belongs to everybody, it belongs to nobody.”
The Federal Government had launched a phased rehabilitation of the four state-owned refineries in 2024. While parts of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries have been partially restored, work is still ongoing at the second Port Harcourt plant and Kaduna refinery.
However, Ajayi-Kadiri expressed doubt about the success of the government-led efforts, arguing that they are unfair to the Nigerian people, especially when private entrepreneurs are capable of running the facilities better.
“These four refineries are a pure drain on the Nigerian economy,” he said. “We must speak the truth and encourage private sector investment.”
The MAN DG’s remarks echo a growing public demand for the government to allow more private participation in the oil and gas sector to boost efficiency and reduce waste.
