In the Biblical story of Esau and Jacob, Esau surrendered his birthright for a mere plate of porridge. It was a tragic exchange of destiny for temporary satisfaction. Today, Nigeria appears to be replaying a similar tragedy in its oil sector. For decades, the nation entrusted its economic birthright (its vast petroleum wealth) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, only to watch the institution become a symbol of inefficiency, waste, opacity, and broken promises.
Now, in a remarkable twist, the same institution whose refineries have consumed billions of dollars without meaningful productivity is crying ‘monopoly’ against a privately owned Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a refinery that is not only operational but already supplying a substantial portion for Nigerians.
The question Nigerians must ask is simple. Who truly represents monopoly and inefficiency in the downstream sector, the state-owned corporation that failed to refine fuel for decades despite endless public funding,
This post was originally published on this site.
