NUPENG has welcomed a new push to revive Nigeria’s refining capacity, saying restarting the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries would ease some of the strain Nigerians feel from fuel scarcity and costly imports. The union’s response follows a recently announced partnership between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Chinese firms aimed at getting the two plants back on stream.
Quick facts
- NUPENG reacted to NNPCL’s partnership with Chinese firms to restart the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
- NUPENG President Otunba Salimon Oladiti said the restart could help reduce economic pressure on Nigerians.
- The union argued the deal could tackle long-running problems in Nigeria’s petroleum sector and cut reliance on imported fuel.
- Oladiti urged the parties involved to deliver with transparency, accountability, professionalism and on-time execution.
In a statement, Otunba Salimon Oladiti said the revival effort could reduce the economic pressures Nigerians face. He framed the move as a practical response to persistent difficulties in the country’s petroleum sector and said it would help Nigeria rely less on imported petroleum products even though it is a major oil-producing nation.
Oladiti added that the agreement creates an opportunity for Nigeria to reposition its oil and gas industry, rebuild confidence in domestic refining capacity, and support broader economic outcomes. He said the initiative could also generate jobs, stimulate industrial expansion, enhance energy security, and lower the financial burden tied to importing fuel.
The union’s support, however, came with a warning. Oladiti said Nigerians are frustrated by repeated refinery rehabilitation promises and projects that have absorbed large amounts of public funds without producing durable results.
He therefore urged all parties involved in the partnership to ensure transparency and accountability, maintain professional standards, and complete the agreement on schedule. The call underscores growing political and economic pressure on Nigeria’s energy sector to deliver measurable improvements rather than renewed plans.
