The Call for Protection of the Dangote Refinery
The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has raised a critical alarm, urging the National Assembly and other key stakeholders to take immediate action to safeguard the Dangote Refinery. This call was made by NAPS’ Senate President, Festus Oyewumi, during an address to journalists in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on Thursday.
NAPS serves as the umbrella organization for various educational institutions across Nigeria, including polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education, technical colleges, health sciences colleges, cooperative colleges, and others that offer National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programs. These institutions are spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Oyewumi emphasized the importance of protecting local refineries, particularly the Dangote Refinery, which he described as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic transformation. He called on both chambers of the National Assembly to sponsor and pass a bill aimed at safeguarding these industries. According to him, the time has come for the National Assembly to defend the national economic interest and protect domestic refineries in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He highlighted the significant contributions made by Aliko Dangote through the Dangote Refinery project. This includes the sponsorship of over 3,000 Nigerians for a year-long training program in India to acquire advanced technical skills. Additionally, Dangote constructed 35,000 housing units in Ibeju-Lekki to accommodate refinery staff. This facility is situated on a landmass larger than the entire Victoria Island. Oyewumi stressed that this is not a foreign investment but a Nigerian project for Nigerians, one that must be protected as a national asset.
“If we allow such an investment to be sabotaged or frustrated, we risk discouraging indigenous industrialists and undermining Nigeria’s march toward self-sufficiency,” Oyewumi said. He added that the Dangote Refinery represents hope—hope for job creation, stable fuel supply, foreign exchange savings, and national pride.
Key Stakeholders and Legislative Action
Oyewumi urged the Senate, led by Senator Godswill Akpabio; the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen; and the Senator representing Lagos East, Mukhail Abiru—who is based in the constituency where the refinery is located—to champion legislation that would protect and sustain the refinery. He specifically called on Senator Abiru to take up this national responsibility as the representative of the host district.
He proposed that Senator Abiru jointly sponsor and pass a National Industrial Protection Bill. This bill should mandate the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to ensure 100% crude oil supply to the Dangote Refinery and other local refineries. It should also enforce a total ban on the importation of refined petroleum products to encourage local production and establish legal frameworks that shield indigenous investors from internal and external sabotage.
Oyewumi further called on lawmakers to ensure the full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act in a way that prioritizes local refining and economic sustainability. He concluded by stating, “History will remember this 10th National Assembly as either the legislature that secured Nigeria’s energy independence or the one that allowed powerful saboteurs to cripple our national progress. The choice is theirs. But our voices, as Nigerian students and defenders of the nation’s industrial future, will not be silent.”
Additional Concerns
In January 2023, NAPS expressed concerns about the poor state of infrastructure at the Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna, calling for urgent intervention. During an address to journalists in Abuja, Lawal Muhammed, then Vice President, External Affairs of NAPS, stated, “It is often said that the best weapon we can use in shaping the future of any generation is education. As such, when negativity thrives where progress is inevitable, the best option is to extinguish it immediately before it consumes the entire space.”