Buhari, Emefiele, Not Tinubu, Deserve Credit for Dangote Refinery – Rufai Oseni

Arise TV anchor Rufai Oseni has argued that former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele deserve the credit for the establishment of the Dangote Refinery, not President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Oseni made the comments on Monday in response to remarks by Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).

Adedeji appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, where he discussed the Tinubu government’s economic record, citing higher revenue and the Dangote Refinery’s increasing role in domestic fuel supply.

Oseni rejected the idea that the refinery is a product of the current administration. He said it was made possible largely by policies and conditions under Buhari, especially the relative stability of the naira while Emefiele headed the CBN.

“When they try to say Dangote Refinery is a product of this administration? It’s not a product of this administration,” Oseni stated.

“It was the same Buhari administration that kept Naira stable, and the Emefiele they call names today was the one that kept Naira stable so that Dangote would be able to build that refinery.”

He also criticised the government for not fully meeting crude oil supply commitments to the refinery, noting that Dangote still has to purchase Nigerian crude on the international market and bring it back into the country.

While acknowledging some economic gains under Tinubu, Oseni said the administration must also address the wider impact of its policies on citizens and businesses.

He pointed to significant forex-related losses in the corporate sector estimated at over ₦3 trillion and a broader GDP impact exceeding $100 billion, arguing that the human cost remains unaddressed.

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