In an update published by The Nation, former lawmaker Senator Ben Murray-Bruce urged President Bola Tinubu to adopt aggressive measures to fix Nigeria’s state-owned oil refineries. Expressing dismay over decades of operational failures at public refinery plants, the media mogul urged the administration to bypass bureaucratic red tape and hire technical experts capable of restoring full production.
Murray-Bruce pointed out that while private facilities like the Dangote Refinery are operational, state-funded facilities continue to drain national resources without meeting domestic fuel demand. He urged the federal government to appoint decisive management teams to eliminate crude theft, secure feedstocks, and make the country a net exporter of refined petroleum.
Energy analysts agree that operational state refineries would significantly reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves and stabilize local pump prices. The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources maintains that rehabilitation efforts on public refineries are nearing key operational milestones.
Naija News captured the former senator’s blunt remarks, quoting Murray-Bruce as saying, “Find A Mad Man Who Can Make The Refineries Work”. Premium Times further cited the Bayelsa politician’s stance: “if the Dangote Refineries, owned by a single individual, can be functional, the government has no excuse for why the national refineries are not working”.
Echotitbits take:
The stark contrast between operational private refineries and dormant public facilities underscores long-standing public sector inefficiencies. Achieving energy self-sufficiency depends on whether the administration can enforce operational accountability and stamp out crude oil theft.
Source: Punch.ng – https://punchng.com/murray-bruce-asks-tinubu-to-fix-nigerias-refineries/, August 19, 2026
Photo credit: The Guardian Nigeria News
