A coalition of oil sector reform advocates has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to account for more than $3.5 billion reportedly spent on refinery rehabilitation projects before proceeding with fresh agreements involving Chinese firms.

The Coalition for Oil Sector Reforms and Accountability made the demand during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where its National President, Tekeme Umukoro, criticised what he described as a recurring cycle of waste, opacity, and failed promises surrounding Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.

The group’s reaction follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NNPC and two Chinese firms – Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xingcheng Industrial Park Operation and Management Company Limited – for the rehabilitation and operation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

Addressing journalists, Umukoro said the latest agreement raises major accountability concerns, particularly given previous billions of dollars committed to refinery rehabilitation projects without corresponding operational results.

“We have gathered here today because Nigeria can no longer continue to tolerate a dangerous cycle of waste, opacity, and endless promises in the management of the nation’s refineries,” he said.

“For decades, successive administrations have committed billions of dollars to refinery rehabilitation projects, yet the country continues to depend heavily on imported refined petroleum products. Nigerians have repeatedly been told that the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries were being revived, only for those promises to collapse under the weight of poor execution, secrecy, and lack of accountability.”

The coalition noted that despite significant public expenditure on refinery turnaround maintenance and rehabilitation, Nigeria still lacks fully functional state-owned refineries operating at commercial capacity.

According to the group, the Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation alone reportedly consumed more than $1.5 billion under previous arrangements, while additional funds running into billions were committed to the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

“Yet, despite these huge expenditures, ordinary Nigerians continue to suffer the consequences of fuel import dependency, unstable energy costs, and repeated supply disruptions. This represents not just policy failure, but a monumental tragedy of public accountability,” Umukoro said.

“We find it unacceptable that public institutions continue to announce new agreements without first accounting for previous investments. Nigerians deserve to know what happened to the billions already spent on refinery rehabilitation.”

The coalition questioned the absence of publicly available audit reports and measurable outcomes tied to earlier rehabilitation contracts.

“Who handled the contracts? What milestones were achieved? What work was actually completed? Why did the previous rehabilitation programmes fail? Where are the audit reports? Where are the measurable operational outcomes?” the group asked.

The coalition also expressed concern over recent comments credited to NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, indicating that the company intends to move away from traditional contractor-led rehabilitation models toward a technical equity partnership framework.

“If the old rehabilitation framework failed despite billions of dollars in expenditure, then Nigerians deserve a comprehensive explanation before another MoU jamboree,” Umukoro said.

“You cannot simply abandon one failed model and quietly move into another without first accounting for public resources already expended. No serious nation operates like that.”

The group further warned that the proposed Chinese partnership raises broader governance and sovereignty concerns regarding Nigeria’s refining infrastructure.

“This suggests that foreign entities may eventually take strategic operational positions within Nigeria’s refining infrastructure,” the coalition stated.

“But Nigerians have not been told the exact nature of the proposed technical equity arrangement. What percentage of equity is being contemplated? What are the financial obligations of the Nigerian government? What are the long-term implications for national energy sovereignty?”

The coalition called for the immediate publication of a comprehensive audit report detailing all refinery rehabilitation expenditures from 2015 to date.

It also urged the National Assembly to commence a public investigative hearing into refinery rehabilitation spending over the last decade and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct anti-corruption agencies to investigate any evidence of financial misconduct linked to previous refinery rehabilitation contracts.

“We must never allow billions of dollars belonging to the Nigerian people to disappear into endless cycles of rehabilitation without measurable results,” Umukoro said.

“Nigeria deserves functional refineries. Nigeria deserves transparent institutions. Nigeria deserves accountability. And above all, Nigerians deserve the truth.”