ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ikenga Ugochinyere, has attributed the delay in finalising the National Assembly’s probe into the reported $18bn spent on rehabilitating Nigeria’s four state owned refineries to the alleged non-cooperation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Ugochinyere said the House would take decisive action against the NNPC after the passage of the 2026 budget.
In October 2025, the House instructed its committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Gas Resources, and Public Assets to investigate funds reportedly spent on rehabilitating the refineries located in Port Harcourt (two facilities), Kaduna (one), and Warri (one).
The probe followed a motion sponsored by the member representing Badagry Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Sesi Whingan, who raised concerns that, despite the large sums allegedly committed to the facilities over the years, they remained largely non-functional.
Whingan, while presenting the motion on the House floor, highlighted concerns over the effectiveness of the Turnaround Maintenance carried out on the refineries over time.
According to the lawmaker, repeated budgetary allocations for maintenance and rehabilitation had yielded little evidence of meaningful progress toward full operational capacity.
He referenced statements by billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, who claimed that about $18bn had been spent attempting to rehabilitate the country’s refineries.
READ ALSO: Senate Gives NNPC Three Weeks To Explain N210tn Audit Queries
The Lagos lawmaker was quoted as saying, “Despite consistent annual budgetary allocations over the years, there is no verifiable evidence of substantial rehabilitation outcomes, representing a gross misuse of public funds and a betrayal of public trust.”
Whingan also pledged that the House would not hesitate to recommend sanctions where wrongdoing is established.
Although the committees were given four weeks to submit their reports for further legislative action, the investigation remains incomplete several months later.
Speaking In an interview Ugochinyere attributed the delay to the alleged lack of cooperation from the NNPC. “The NNPC has not been cooperating with the investigation. After the budget passage, we will take a position,” he said.
Attempts to obtain comments from the other three committees were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries have long faced operational inefficiencies, ageing infrastructure, and extended shutdowns.
Successive administrations have approved billions of dollars for Turnaround Maintenance and rehabilitation to boost domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.
However, the facilities have remained largely idle despite massive investments, sparking ongoing allegations of mismanagement, poor oversight, and potential diversion of public funds.
READ ALSO: NNPC Not Sabotaging Petroleum Business – Kyari
The issue gained renewed attention after Dangote disclosed that an estimated $18bn had been spent on rehabilitation attempts with little to show for it.
The development has intensified calls for accountability, especially as Nigeria continues to depend heavily on imported fuel despite being one of the world’s major crude oil producers.
With the Federal Government having removed the petrol subsidy and pushing reforms in the downstream petroleum sector, lawmakers say that improving transparency and efficiency in the management of the country’s refining assets is now urgent.
The House committees are expected to present their findings to the chamber once the investigation is concluded.