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| Photo credit — PETROAN |
KEY TAKEAWAY
• Lead paragraph summarizing the demand and the January 16, 2027 reference.
• Background on Tinubu’s Independence Day remarks about gas and the “age of prosperity.”
• PETROAN’s specific arguments (competition, jobs, reduced import dependence, energy security) — paraphrased and attributed.
• Acknowledgment of other price drivers (as the association itself noted).
• Broader context on Nigeria’s refining landscape and why multiple operational plants matter.
• Closing call for stakeholder cooperation, kept factual.
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The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure Nigeria’s government-owned refineries return to sustainable operations before the January 16, 2027, general election.
National President Billy Gillis-Harry made the appeal in response to the president’s Independence Day address. In that speech, Tinubu highlighted plans to use the country’s gas resources to power new industries and declared a shift from economic reforms into what he described as an “age of prosperity.”
Gillis-Harry stated that efforts to lower production costs and drive economic growth would remain incomplete without restoring the government-owned refineries and expanding local refining capacity. He noted that the prolonged inactivity of these facilities has affected millions of Nigerians whose businesses and livelihoods are tied to the petroleum sector.
According to PETROAN, bringing the refineries back online would deliver several benefits. These include reduced dependence on imported petroleum products, creation of employment opportunities, and stimulation of economic activity in host communities. The association also argued that greater competition among domestic refineries and other suppliers could improve efficiency, enhance product availability, and help create market conditions that exert downward pressure on prices.
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PETROAN acknowledged, however, that other factors—such as crude oil costs, exchange rates, taxes, and transportation expenses—will continue to influence the final prices of petroleum products. A competitive refining market, the group said, would still give consumers more choices and encourage refiners and marketers to improve service quality.
The association stressed that reviving the government-owned facilities should be viewed not only as an infrastructure project but as a practical step toward lower energy costs, job creation, and broader economic strengthening.
On the president’s gas-to-industry plans, PETROAN noted that Nigeria has sufficient gas resources to support industrial growth and lower the cost of doing business. The group also welcomed reports of reduced crude oil theft, saying improved security in the oil sector could boost production, increase government revenue, and attract further investment.
At the same time, PETROAN insisted that the administration’s economic agenda must include concrete actions in the petroleum industry. It called for adequate crude oil supply to local refineries, expanded refining capacity, effective product distribution, and a transparent downstream market. These steps, the association said, would help stabilize the supply and prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and other products.
PETROAN acknowledged the Tinubu administration’s stated opposition to returning to what the president has called “addictive subsidies.” The group maintained that the alternative must be a sustainable petroleum market that protects consumers while encouraging investment.
Gillis-Harry urged stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), regulatory agencies, refinery operators, petroleum marketers, and other stakeholders. He said restoring the government-owned refineries would also reassure workers in the industry that Nigeria’s strategic assets can still generate economic opportunities.
PETROAN further argued that combining operational government refineries with the expanding capacity of private facilities would promote healthy competition, strengthen energy security, and support job creation. The association called on President Tinubu to turn the declaration that “the age of reform has done its work. Now begins the age of prosperity” into measurable results in the petroleum sector—beginning with the sustainable revival of the government-owned refineries.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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