Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Nigerian Minister of Tourism, has taken a firm stance against critics of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
His comments come in the wake of the refinery's revival, which has sparked debate and skepticism within the oil and gas industry. Fani-Kayode specifically targeted Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Refinery, emphasizing that the oil business is fundamentally different from other commodity markets such as sugar, spaghetti, and cement.
He stated, "The oil business is not the same as selling sugar, spaghetti, cement, or rice, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot muscle your way and create a monopoly on the sale of refined products as you did for other commodities over the years."
This critique follows allegations that the Port Harcourt Refinery was merely distributing old stock rather than freshly refined petroleum products.
Despite these claims, Fani-Kayode praised the efforts of NNPCL's Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the refinery's revival as "one of the most encouraging things that has happened in the petroleum sector for many years." He further accused certain elements within the private sector of attempting to undermine this achievement, stating, "It is a pity that some elements in the private sector who are new in the field are doing all they can to undermine and understate this great victory for Nigeria."
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