Buhari, Emefiele Deserve Credit For Dangote Refinery, Not Tinubu — Rufai Oseni

Arise Television presenter Rufai Oseni has challenged claims that President Bola Tinubu’s administration should take credit for the establishment and growth of the Dangote Refinery, arguing that the project was largely enabled by policies implemented under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Oseni made the remarks on Monday while responding to comments by the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, who recently highlighted the economic achievements of the Tinubu administration.

Adedeji in an interview where he discussed the government’s revenue performance and pointed to the increasing role of the Dangote Refinery in meeting Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand.

Reacting to the comments, Oseni argued that the refinery predates the Tinubu administration and that the economic environment created during Buhari’s tenure played a significant role in enabling the project.

According to the broadcaster, former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele also deserves recognition for maintaining relative stability in the naira during the period when the refinery was being developed.

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

He argued that the exchange-rate environment under Buhari and Emefiele helped Aliko Dangote finance and complete the massive refinery project.

“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 added.

Oseni also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s crude oil supply arrangements with the refinery, claiming that Dangote still has to source Nigerian crude through international markets.

“Do you know that Dangote still has to go and buy Nigerian crude on the international market and bring it back?” he asked. While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration had recorded some economic gains, the television anchor argued that those achievements should be considered alongside the broader consequences of the government’s economic policies.

He said the administration had recorded “some wins” but maintained that businesses and ordinary Nigerians were still dealing with the consequences of economic disruptions.

“Yes, it got some wins. I mean, we don’t shy away from that,” Oseni said, while stressing that the negative effects of the policies on the economy should not be ignored.

He pointed to the losses suffered by the corporate sector as a result of foreign exchange challenges and argued that the impact on the wider economy and individuals should also be properly measured.

Oseni questioned whether the government could adequately quantify the financial burden borne by ordinary Nigerians as a result of the economic difficulties.

“The individual cost on the lives of people that you and I are both paying, can they bring out that cost?” he asked. His comments have renewed debate over the respective roles of previous and current administrations in the development of the Dangote Refinery and the policies surrounding Nigeria’s energy and foreign exchange sectors.