Petroleum Minister: why President Tinubu should quit – Analysts

Former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Free Trade Zone, Mr. Baba Yusuf, and an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr. Femi Odeere, have asked President Bola Tinubu to quit office as the Minister of Petroleum Resources and give way to another competent Nigerian.

Speaking over the weekend, Mr. Yusuf and Mr. Odeere expressed concern over the insignificant improvement in the country’s daily oil production since the current petroleum minister took office in August 2023.

They urged the president to remove his hands from petroleum and give it to a focal person and hold such to account.

Mr. Yusuf stated that President Tinubu should “move away from the shadow and the cobweb of the oil and gas”.

He said: “The President should Withdraw his hands from petroleum and give it to a focal person and be checking the account”.

They also contended that top oil-producing countries like the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and others don’t have their presidents as petroleum ministers.

They asked Tinubu to surrender his officer as substantive petroleum minister to another competent Nigerian.

Managing the petroleum portfolio

The former NAHCO Free Trade Zone Managing Director believes that Nigeria’s president should not be directly involved in managing the country’s petroleum portfolio.

He thinks it’s a distraction from the President’s broader responsibilities.

“The four biggest oil-producing countries in the world… their presidents don’t have any business with being ministers of petroleum”, he said.

“This perspective is interesting, especially considering Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

“The aim is to provide a comprehensive framework for the industry.

“The Act establishes key institutions, such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

“And the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority, to oversee different aspects of the industry”, he added.

Yusuf implied that these institutions should take the lead on petroleum management, allowing the president to focus on other critical national issues.

He said: “I believe that the President of Republic of Nigeria should not distract himself with the petroleum portfolio”.

Raging debate

Yusuf and Odeere argue that retaining the same minister hasn’t yielded the desired results, sparking debate about the effectiveness of the current administration’s energy policies.

Top oil-producing countries like the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates typically separate the roles of head of state and petroleum minister.

For instance, in the United States, the President focuses on overall energy policy, while the Secretary of Energy oversees specific energy-related departments and agencies.

Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, the petroleum minister is responsible for the country’s oil and gas sector, separate from the King’s duties.

“In terms of population size, China, Russia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, you don’t see the president holding the portfolio of petroleum or any other portfolio.”

President Tinubu appointed 48 ministers in August 2023, about three months after taking office.

Notably, Heineken Lokpobiri was assigned the role of Minister of State for Oil, while Ekperipe Ekpo became the Minister of State for Gas.

However, in a move reminiscent of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu chose to retain the senior minister role for himself.

This decision has sparked debate, with some arguing that the President should focus on broader national issues rather than directly overseeing the sector.

Critics like Baba Yusuf and Femi Odeere have pointed out that other top oil-producing countries, such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.

They urge the president to, typically, separate the roles of head of state and petroleum minister.

They argue that this will allow for more effective governance and expertise in the oil and gas sector.

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