Despite an initial $35 million (₦50 billion) investment made in 2020, the refinery has remained dormant for four years, with no visible progress on the ground.
Reports suggest the project has become the subject of an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation over alleged fraudulent practices.
Raising the alarm during Wednesday’s plenary, Hon. Billy Osawaru, representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency in Edo State, described the situation as “a monumental economic sabotage.”
“Despite this huge investment, enough to fund key components of the national budget, nothing is on the ground to show that any progress has been made,” Osawaru told lawmakers.
He noted that in May 2024, a stakeholder petitioned the EFCC to probe the NCDMB’s multi-million-dollar investments, including the Brass modular refinery.
However, nearly a year later, “nothing has been heard about this profound national waste,” he said.
Osawaru warned that the continued inaction surrounding the project “raises significant questions about the management of public funds and the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms in Nigeria.”
The motion, titled “Need to Investigate the Abandoned $35 Million Modular Refinery Project in Brass, Bayelsa State,” received overwhelming support when Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu put it to a voice vote.
Following the resolution, the House referred the matter to its Committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) for further legislative action. The committees have four weeks to submit their findings.
Across Africa, modular refineries have been promoted as a quicker, cost-effective solution to local refining shortages.
However, the Brass refinery’s fate now serves as a cautionary tale on how governance lapses and corruption can stall industrial progress, even amid the continent’s renewed push for energy self-sufficiency.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
