Mr President,
I write this as a supporter of your administration and as a Nigerian who genuinely wants you to succeed. But support must never become sycophancy. Sometimes, the greatest service a supporter can render to a President is to say what those around him may be too comfortable—or too frightened—to say.
Mr President, Nigeria needs more “mad men” in government.
And before anyone deliberately misunderstands the expression, let me explain what I mean.
I mean men and women who are “crazy” enough to confront broken systems, step on powerful toes, challenge entrenched interests and refuse to accept mediocrity simply because mediocrity has become normal.
Nigeria needs people who wake up every morning obsessed with results. People who are prepared to become unpopular in Abuja if that is the price of becoming useful to Nigeria.
Look at the Central Bank under Olayemi Cardoso. Whatever disagreements Nigerians may have with individual monetary policies, the institution has undergone a significant reset, with the CBN maintaining a more disciplined and data-driven approach to monetary policy. In February 2026, the Monetary Policy Committee reduced the benchmark interest rate to 26.5 percent, while subsequent meetings retained that rate amid continuing efforts to manage inflation and stabilise the economy.
That is one “mad man.”
Look at Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Nigeria still faces serious security challenges, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But the national security architecture has increasingly emphasised coordination, intelligence cooperation, technology and stronger international partnerships. In January 2026, Ribadu led high-level engagements with U.S. officials focused on strengthening Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, insurgency and banditry.
That is another “mad man.”
Mr President, two mad men are not enough for a country of more than 200 million people.
We need another one in petroleum.
In fact, give us two more.
Nigeria cannot continue behaving like a poor country sitting on the assets of a rich country.
We produce crude oil. We possess enormous reserves. We have decades of petroleum expertise. Yet for years, we became accustomed to exporting crude and importing the refined products made from it.
That is economic madness of the wrong kind.
Now we need madness of the right kind.
Mr President, make the commercially viable operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries a national obsession.
And please, no more excuses.
Nigerians have heard enough explanations about turnaround maintenance, contractors, technical reviews, committees, timelines and billions spent.
We want products coming out of those refineries.
If government cannot operate them efficiently, find the structure that can. Bring in world-class technical partners. Introduce private capital where necessary. Restructure them. Concession them if that produces the best outcome. But whatever model is chosen, the objective must be brutally simple:
MAKE THE REFINERIES WORK.
Dangote has demonstrated what is possible on Nigerian soil. Its refinery has a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, and in 2026 it reportedly processed as much as 700,000 barrels per day during a performance test—above its official capacity.
So let us establish an audacious benchmark.
Mr President, let the three government-owned refining complexes target, at minimum, the equivalent of 50 percent of Dangote’s nameplate capacity—about 325,000 barrels per day of reliable, commercially viable throughput.
Then push beyond it.
Nigeria should not merely aspire to satisfy domestic demand. Our ambition should be much bigger.
We should become a refining powerhouse for Africa and a major exporter of refined petroleum products.
And upstream, the instruction should be equally uncompromising.
Your administration has set a target of increasing Nigeria’s oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2030, supported by fiscal incentives and efforts to remove bureaucratic obstacles to investment.
Mr President, find the “mad man” who will deliver it.
Find somebody who considers 1.5 million barrels unacceptable when the national ambition is 4 million.
Find somebody who will fight oil theft, confront bureaucratic paralysis, reduce production costs, unlock dormant assets, accelerate approvals, attract billions of dollars in investment and challenge every agency standing between Nigeria and increased production.
I do not want another committee chairman.
I want a mad man.
I do not want somebody who will spend four years explaining why something cannot be done.
I want somebody crazy enough to do it.
We have had enough clowns.
Nigeria is too important, our problems are too serious and the President’s remaining time is too precious for passengers in government.
Every minister, regulator, agency head and presidential appointee controlling a critical part of this economy should understand one thing:
This is not a retirement home.
If you cannot deliver, leave.
If you are afraid of stepping on toes, leave.
If protecting friendships is more important than protecting Nigeria’s interests, leave.
If bureaucracy frightens you, leave.
If vested interests can intimidate you, leave.
And if you are not crazy enough to attempt what everybody else says is impossible, we do not want you.
Mr President, you have demonstrated that you can take politically difficult decisions.
Now take another one:
Recruit more mad men.
Give Nigeria a mad man for petroleum production.
Give us another mad man whose only obsession is refining.
Give them measurable targets, presidential backing and deadlines—and then get out of their way while they step on every toe that needs stepping on.
Cardoso is doing his job.
Ribadu is doing his job.
Now find us two more.
Four million barrels per day.
Working refineries.
A Nigeria that refines its own crude and exports petroleum products to the world.
No excuses.
No clowns.
No passengers.
Only results.
Mr President, this is a request.
And it is not negotiable.
— Senator Ben Murray-Bruce
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