Wednesday, November 5, 2025 - Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged Nigerians to defend the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi
Hamzat, made the call on Tuesday during the flag-off of the All Progressives
Congress’ e-registration hands-on device/application, with the theme
“Train-the-Trainer” for the South-West Zone, held at Lagos House, Marina.
Sanwo-Olu also emphasized the need for citizens to
appreciate the investments made by Aliko Dangote in Nigeria, specifically
citing the Dangote Refinery in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.
He said, “We all said we should sign the Petroleum
Industrial Bill in this country. So, those refineries in San Francisco that are
now empty because we are refining here — there will be fights, but it’s not our
fight. Should we not produce jobs for our people?
“People say, ‘Oh, you’re supporting the Dangote Refinery.’
Why not? When the man took 3,000 Nigerians to India to train for a year, are
they not Nigerians? The man has built 35,000 flats in Ibeju Lekki to house his
employees. That site sits on land bigger than the whole of Victoria Island. Is
it not in Nigeria? We must protect it. It’s a Nigerian investment.”
In late September and October 2025, the Dangote Refinery was
embroiled in a dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff
Association of Nigeria over the alleged dismissal of several workers.
The disagreement led to an industrial action that began on
September 29, 2025, disrupting operations at the $20bn refinery.
The situation was later resolved through a
government-brokered negotiation, resulting in the reinstatement and
redeployment of the affected workers to other Dangote projects.
Speaking further, Sanwo-Olu said it was no small feat for
Dangote to have invested so heavily in the refinery project.
“If somebody spends $20bn, is it a joke? The combined annual
budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the 36 states, the Federal Capital
Territory, and all 774 local governments is about $62bn. The man spent $20bn —
one-third of that total. Is it a joke?” he said.
The governor also noted that governance is “not a joke,”
urging Nigerians to appreciate the economic reforms being implemented by
President Tinubu.
“Governance is not a joke. And our President is making the
right decisions. People who don’t understand can criticise, but let us go out
there, be proud, and defend this government. They are doing the right things,”
he added.
He described the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal
Government as a step in the right direction.
Fuel subsidy removal, announced in May 2023 by President
Tinubu, was, according to the government, aimed at rebalancing public finances
and attracting investment.
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