Ex-NLC president lauds Tinubu’s plan to revive nation’s refineries
Lagos, Aug.2026 (TBL Africa) Dr Ayuba Wabba, immediate past President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), has commended President Bola Tinubu over plans to revive the nation’s refineries.
Wabba, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said the local refineries, when revived, would refine products for domestic use.
Tinubu had on Thursday assured that the nation’s refineries would be revived.
The president gave the assurance when he received members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Wabba, most OPEC member countries, of which Nigeria is one, have refining capacity.
“This will create more jobs. It is also about our national security because energy is associated with national security.
“So, I think it is because the right thing has not been done, that is why that process failed.
“Also, one of the things I think the president should also do is an auditing, ” he said.
Wabba urged the president to audit the entire process to ascertain the amount of funds that had been sunk into the refineries.
The former NLC boss explained that refineries had long lifespans, pointing to a 100-year-old refinery still operating in India.
“It is still working. You can upgrade refineries or service them; so, there is nothing wrong with our refineries. They can be upgraded from one installed capacity to another.
“So, I think what is missing in our own case is actually lack of good governance; transparency and accountability in the entire process, ” Wabba said.
He called for the nationalisation of the refineries after they had been revived to allow citizens have equal access to energy services.
