*NIGERIA'S NON-FUNCTIONAL REFINERIES*
Not everyone agrees to what to do about Nigeria's non-functional refineries. Part of the reason is that not everyone agrees it is a real problem. However, it is getting harder not to notice the effects of the non-functionality of the refineries on virtually all human endeavours. Today, these non-functional refineries are having serious effects on Nigerians' use of energy as well as the environment, and these will continue for a longer time if they are left unattended to.
First of all, rising rate of refined petroleum products' importation will continue to be detrimental to the country's monetary value. This will make dollar to continue appreciating against naira. This will be so as it is the main means of exchange used in international transactions. Due to this, many people will find no reason not to start hoarding dollars, asking to be paid with it and even converting their savings in banks to dollar. Doing all these will see the naira losing value further. The cost of this devaluation of naira will be billions of dollars, which individuals and governments will have to pay for directly or indirectly. No one will be spared from this because of its interwoven nature with every human endeavours. Therefore, economies will be hurt, and this could lead to a national down turn. Furthermore, industries such as textiles, cosmetics, chemical and others that are relying on petroleum products for their production processes will suffer a lot. They will experience shortage in supply of these products as the few businesses in the supply chain will start hoarding the few they have with them. Hike in prices of these will set in, and this will eventually lead to stoppage of operations in some of those industries which may not be replaced or revived. This will finally affect the final consumers, and thus they will begin the search for an alternative which is readily available in the foreign markets. This will also contribute to economic troubles. This cost is only the beginning.
Another effect of Nigeria's non-functional refineries is lost of jobs. The redundancy that will be experienced in industries that find it difficulty to source for the energy to service their machineries will lead to many being laid off and failing to retain their jobs. This lost will disturb the already tensed unemployment rate being experienced in the country. Most of the victims here are skilled technicians and industrial workers; they may, as a matter of fact, not find appropriate establishments that will be suitable for their expertise. This will create a menace on the society and on the country at large. These workers will fail to fulfill their financial familial obligations at their various homes, and some will end up finding their way out of the country to seek better offer at industries that will appreciate their skills. The current exodus of banking and industrial experts going out of the country is very apt here as an example. Yet, these effects are hardly noticeable to those living in affluence.
Equally, Nigeria's non-functional refineries is making more storms and making the storms worse. These storms are the illegal bunkering activities going on at the creeks as well as elsewhere. First, cases of vandalisation of pipeline have been causing damages in recent years, even in places that never had one before. With the number of cases of pipeline vandalisation increasing, inland population have had greater loss of life and property from the fire incidences that always happen after such illegal operations. Second, the proliferation of illegal refineries along with increase in the bunkering activities in the creeks are becoming ever glaring. Due to the availability of market and the inability of the imported petroleum products to meet people's need, the illegal refineries have become alternatives. It is, therefore, not surprising to observe that the bunkering efforts at the creeks are ever on the increase. Incessant loss of lives and aquatic splendour are some of the demerits here. However, the youths carrying out these illegal operations remain adamant as a number of our big men and military men are also involved in the deal.
Finally, Nigeria's non-functional refineries has created lots of other spill over effects on other daily human endeavours. One of such is transportation. Transport fares have rising to a state higher than at any other time. Though the need to take detours to avoid the bandits and insurgent-proned areas by drivers is given as a reason for the high transport costs, the bandits must have also been rendered idled in one way or the other by the non-functional state of the refineries before venturing into banditry or insurgency. It is, in fact, gathered somewhere that five litres of PMS goes for =N=25,000 before the bandits/terrorists in places closer to Nigerian-Nigerien boarders. This is not restricted to road transportation; water and air transportations are also not exempted. We read recently in the news about a plan by the aviation industry to go on strike due to unprofitability that hike in the cost of gasoline has brought in to their operations. Again, hospitalisation and medical services have also suffered some setbacks from the non-functionality of the refineries. Costs of surgeries are becoming unbearable to the ordinary citizens. The hospitals need to fuel their industrial plants to be on standby for every of their dicey operations against the unpredictable power supply in the country. And lastly, communication is another noticeable sector that is experiencing the effects of the non-functional refineries in Nigeria. There is a particular increment in the percentage of the tariff levied on calls recently announced by the country's communication commission. People communicate extensively these days. They subscribe virtually to engage one another across transnational and international borders. The pronlonged deadlock between the country and the recognised lecturers' association also increased the volume of online education tremendously. (Though this has attained some level of sanity as the lecturers have eventually called off the strike, lots are still unfulfilled by the both parties involved.) Not to remain idle, the students need to power their gadgets, and this is only achieved through the utilization of energy which the non-functionality of the country's refineries has made not easily accessible.
In conclusion, these problems are not going away. Being pushed by the rising petroleum products' importation, loosing aquatic splendour, and being innocently killed by fire resulting from pipeline vandalism should make everyone concerned about Nigeria's non-functional refineries.
Getting the refineries back working appears to pose more good to the well-being of the populace than retarding them to their moribund state. Yet, a sincere approach should be utilized to determine how better the refineries should be managed. Is continuing maintaining them as federal government projects the best or handling them over to private hands. I personally prefer going the private way, and even with this, the government need to be sincere, and should try to take active roles in such arrangement.
Bolaji, M. Anifowose
Wrote in from Warri (5/10/2022)
