2027: I’ll make Nigeria’s four refineries work – Sowore

Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress has promised to bring Nigeria's four refineries back into operation if elected president in 2027. This pledge was made during an interview on Arise Television's Prime Time program. Sowore believes the non-functioning of the government-owned refineries is due to corruption and misappropriation of funds by previous administrations.

He argues that refining crude oil locally could lead to significant cost savings and job creation for Nigeria's youth. Sowore states that with the current fuel consumption of over 60 million liters daily, even a saving of N10 per gallon could be substantial. He also points out that Nigeria imports crude oil refined locally from countries like Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Niger.

Sowore questions why Nigeria cannot utilize its own refineries. The human rights activist further clarified that he intends to retain the fuel subsidy, not for its removal, but because he believes it is essential to support the poor while fighting corruption. Sowore emphasized that only a candidate uninvolved in the looting of subsidy funds and dedicated to dismantling corruption would be the right choice.