HURIWA Condemns Fresh Petrol Price Hike, Demands Accountability on Failed Refineries

PRESS STATEMENT

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)

HURIWA Condemns Fresh Petrol Price Hike, Demands Accountability on Failed Refineries

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) vehemently condemns the latest increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), describing it as intolerable, unacceptable and insensitive to the economic hardship confronting millions of Nigerians.

The latest increase by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which raised its petrol gantry price from N1,185 to N1,200 per litre, effective today, August 26, 2026, is coming at a time when international crude oil prices have recorded significant declines.

HURIWA is particularly concerned that Nigerians continue to bear the consequences of incessant petrol price increases while the Federal Government has failed to make the country’s publicly owned refineries fully operational despite the enormous resources reportedly committed to their rehabilitation.
We condemn the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), for what appears to be a prolonged failure to revive the nation’s refineries.

It is unacceptable that billions of dollars reportedly committed to turnaround maintenance of the refineries have not translated into functional facilities capable of producing petroleum products for Nigerians.

HURIWA therefore demands a full, independent and transparent forensic audit of the funds reportedly spent on the rehabilitation of the country’s public refineries.
The Federal Government must tell Nigerians precisely how the reported expenditure of over $2 billion was utilised, who authorised the contracts, which companies received the funds, what work was actually carried out and why the refineries have remained largely non-functional.

Where investigations establish fraud, corruption or diversion of public funds, those responsible must be arrested, prosecuted and compelled to return every recoverable amount to the public treasury.
It is unacceptable for individuals who may have questions to answer over the management of such enormous public resources to continue enjoying freedom and public influence without accountability.

HURIWA also rejects any proposal for another cycle of massive public spending on the same refineries without first accounting for previous expenditures and recovering funds found to have been misappropriated.

The continued failure of the public refineries has created an unhealthy dependence on private refining capacity and raised legitimate concerns about competition and pricing within the downstream petroleum sector.

While HURIWA recognises the importance of private investment in the petroleum industry, Nigerians must not be placed at the mercy of any dominant player because government-owned refineries have been allowed to collapse after years of questionable expenditure.

The Federal Government and relevant regulatory authorities must therefore ensure that petrol pricing is transparent, competitive and subject to effective regulatory oversight.
The recurring increases in petrol prices are having a devastating effect on the Nigerian people. Every increase immediately feeds into transportation costs, food prices, production expenses and the general cost of living.

At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with multidimensional poverty, government policies must prioritise economic relief, transparency and social protection rather than allowing policies that further erode household purchasing power.

HURIWA consequently demands:
An immediate explanation for the latest petrol price increase.
A comprehensive forensic audit of all funds spent on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s public refineries.
Publication of contracts, payments and project reports relating to the refinery turnaround maintenance.
Investigation and prosecution of anyone found to have diverted or mismanaged public funds.
Immediate recovery of all stolen or misappropriated funds.

An end to arbitrary or unjustified petrol price increases that worsen the cost-of-living crisis.
Stronger regulatory measures to guarantee competition and prevent market abuse in the downstream petroleum sector.

The Federal Government must understand that Nigerians cannot continue to pay the price for institutional failures, alleged financial mismanagement and the inability to deliver functional public refineries after billions of dollars in reported expenditure.

HURIWA gives the Federal Government until 1:00pm today, August 26, 2026, to respond to these demands and provide Nigerians with clear answers on the latest petrol price increase and the expenditure on the nation’s public refineries.
Nigeria’s petroleum resources belong to the Nigerian people. The management of the sector must therefore be governed by transparency, accountability and the public interest.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)
August 26, 2026