Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for depending heavily on the Dangote Refinery for fuel supply.

Falana made the remarks during an interview on Politics Today aired on Channels Television on Thursday, where he discussed the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and its possible effects on Nigeria’s economy.

During the programme, the senior lawyer questioned why the country’s national oil company now appears to rely mainly on the Dangote Refinery despite the billions of dollars previously spent on maintaining Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.
According to him, about $2.9 billion had reportedly been used for the maintenance of Nigeria’s four public refineries over the years, yet the facilities are not producing at expected levels.

Falana expressed concern over the situation, asking how the country could still depend largely on a privately owned refinery after such significant investments had been made in government refineries.

He also questioned the amount of crude oil currently being supplied to the Dangote Refinery, stressing the need for greater transparency regarding the management of the nation’s refinery assets.

His comments come amid tensions in the Middle East, a region considered a major hub for global fuel supply, raising concerns about possible implications for energy markets worldwide.