Reps to probe ‘$18bn spent’ on rehabilitation of refineries

The house of representatives has resolved to investigate funds spent on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during Thursday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sesi Whingan, a Lagos lawmaker.

Moving the motion, Whingan said the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna have remained non-functional after over two decades of rehabilitation and billions of dollars spent on them.

He referenced Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, who claimed $18 billion has been spent on rehabilitating the refineries.

“Despite consistent annual budgetary allocations over the years, there is no verifiable evidence of substantial rehabilitation outcomes, representing a gross misuse of public funds and a betrayal of public trust,” he said.

“Nigeria’s economic stability and energy security are inextricably linked to a functional and accountable downstream petroleum sector, particularly following the current administration’s removal of the petrol subsidy, which underscores the urgent need for operational refineries to mitigate economic hardship.”

Whingan said a “comprehensive, transparent, and time-bound” investigation is essential to ascertain the refineries’ current operational and structural status.

He said the probe must examine the utilisation of all allocated funds and the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts and identify any infractions, mismanagement, or corrupt practices in the management of the assets.

The lawmaker said the probe would propose actionable reforms to safeguard future public investments and ensure the sustainability of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.

The motion was adopted after Benjamin Kalu, the presiding officer, put it to a voice vote.

Consequently, he referred the motion to the committees on petroleum resources (upstream and downstream), public assets and gas resources to investigate the matter and report back in four weeks.

In March 2021, the federal government had approved $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers state.

In August 2021, the FEC also approved the sum of $1.48 billion for the rehabilitation of both Warri and Kaduna refineries, in three phases of 21, 23, and 33 months.

In November 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited said the Port Harcourt refinery has officially commenced crude oil processing, but the refinery was shut down in May for maintenance.

The NNPC later said the Warri and Kaduna refineries are still undergoing rehabilitation.

In July 2025, Bayo Ojulari, the NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), said the company is considering selling the refineries, noting that the rehabilitation is becoming more complicated.