Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Oil and Gas, Olu Arowolo Verheijen, has defended the Tinubu administration’s energy sector reforms, insisting the government would not be pressured into retreat even as it remained open to legitimate criticism.
Speaking at the 25th NOG Energy Week Conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Verheijen said resistance to reform was inevitable but not always sincere.
“Reform changes incentives. It changes habits. It changes the balance between those who benefited from complexity and those who deserve efficiency,” she said.
“Some of that resistance is sincere; change can be disruptive, and responsible leadership must listen. But some of it also comes from the comfort of old arrangements – from systems that worked well for a few, but not well enough for the country.”
She rejected suggestions that the administration’s reforms were punitive, describing them instead as being for the long-term good of the country.
“When we shorten approval timelines, we are not attacking anyone; we are defending national competitiveness,” she said.
“When we close revenue leakages, we are not settling scores; we are protecting the Nigerian people. When we insist on transparency, discipline and delivery, we are not being impatient; we are recognising that Nigeria has already waited too long.”
Verheijen argued that leadership should not be judged on the basis of short-term comfort.
“In moments of change, people will always find language to question the messenger,” she said. “But leadership is not validated by comfort. It is validated by results. We welcome scrutiny. We welcome debate. We welcome honest criticism. But we will not apologise for reforming systems that must work better for Nigerians, for investors, and for the next generation.”
She insisted the reform record was collective, crediting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governments, ministers, regulators, NNPC, government agencies, operators, investors, civil servants as well as ordinary Nigerians who “have carried the burden of reform and have every right to demand that reform now produces relief, jobs and dignity.”
Verheijen acknowledged the reform work is still in progress, citing inflation, affordability, security, metering and infrastructure as areas still demanding urgency, but cautioned against mistaking unfinished work for failure.
“Nations move when people decide that temporary discomfort is better than permanent decline,” she said.
“This is campaign season. So let the record be examined. Let the questions be asked. Let the debate be vigorous. But let it be honest,” she said.
