Nigeria, April 27 -- Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reiterated his longstanding position that Nigeria's state-owned refineries will never become functional again, even as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) continues its efforts to secure technical partners for the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna facilities.

Speaking in a television interview aired on Saturday night, April 25, on Sony Irabor Live and monitored by The News Chronicle, Obasanjo insisted that public-private partnerships (PPPs) remain the only viable model for Nigeria's struggling assets.

"One of the lessons I learned is that PPP works," he said, citing the Nigeria LNG as a successful example where private participation has delivered results.

He...