Former lawmaker Senator Shehu Sani has voiced strong frustration over Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported petroleum products, drawing a sharp contrast with Kenya’s new refinery initiatives and criticizing the local political focus on import subsidies.
In a statement on his X handle, Senator Sani commended Kenya for constructing a refinery aimed at ending the country’s reliance on imported petroleum. However, he lamented the paradox facing Nigeria, which boasts the largest refinery on the continent yet continues to import refined petroleum products.
“We have the biggest refinery in Africa here; and we are still importing refined petroleum products,” Sani stated, highlighting the irony of an oil-producing nation that exports crude oil only to use the proceeds to import fuel.
The former senator also took aim at the national political discourse surrounding the energy sector. He criticized politicians and policymakers for centering current debates on whether or not to subsidize imported petroleum, rather than prioritizing the reactivation of state-owned refineries and halting fuel imports altogether.
Senator Sani’s remarks add to the ongoing national conversation regarding Nigeria’s energy security, local refining capacity, and the structural challenges facing the country’s oil and gas sector.
