Opinion: Economic Analyst or Propagandist for Oil Sector Monopoly? By Hassan Adebayo
“Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author, Hassan Adebayo and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TheTalk.NG.”
Kelvin Emmanuel is widely known for parading himself as an economic expert who shares his opinion on pressing issues in the country. However, recent situations have made one wonder whether he has an agenda to push. In the world of economic analysis, credibility is everything. It’s built on trust, accuracy, and a commitment to the truth.
He has been a frequent guest on Nigerian television. While he speaks with confidence, a closer look at his statements suggests a troubling pattern: sensationalism, unverified claims, and a suspicious push for a monopoly in Nigeria’s oil sector, one that conveniently favors a single player.
Kelvin Emmanuel is always armed with figures and statistics on his numerous TV appearances. However, the problem is that many of his claims don’t hold up to scrutiny. One of his most controversial statements is that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been flooding the country with billions of liters of imported crude oil from Malta. While Nigeria does serve as a distribution hub for imported crude, Emmanuel’s numbers lack credible evidence. Even journalists and industry experts have questioned the accuracy of his claims.
This raises an important question: Where is Kelvin Emmanuel getting his information from, and why does it always seem to support a particular narrative?
What’s even more concerning is Emmanuel’s repeated efforts to discredit other refineries while aggressively promoting Dangote’s refinery as Nigeria’s only hope. He has consistently dismissed the capabilities of other refineries, calling their products “substandard” and suggesting they should be shut out of the market.
In one recent interview, he even claimed that the Eleme refinery produces low-quality crude oil products and is unable to export them, an outright falsehood. The refinery’s main goal was never to focus on exports; it was rehabilitated to meet local demand.
If Emmanuel truly wanted a competitive and thriving oil sector, why does he spend so much time tearing down other refineries instead of acknowledging the value they bring to Nigeria’s economy?
It’s no secret that Nigeria’s oil sector is complex, with both public and private players working to improve local refining capacity. Yet, Emmanuel appears to have a singular mission: to discredit these efforts. He constantly downplays the government’s role in the oil sector and dismisses modular refineries, small, privately owned facilities that help reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel.
This raises an important question: Is Emmanuel acting as an impartial analyst, or is he pushing a strategic agenda to eliminate competition and create a monopoly that benefits only one refinery?
Nigeria has long struggled with issues of monopolization, where one company dominates an industry at the expense of others. If Emmanuel’s views gain more traction, there’s a real risk that his biased narrative could help create another monopoly, this time in the oil sector.
A competitive economy thrives on choice, innovation, and fairness. When analysts push one-sided arguments that favor a single player, it threatens the principles of free-market competition. Nigerians deserve balanced, evidence-based insights, not economic propaganda disguised as expert analysis.
At the end of the day, Nigerians need to be more critical of the so-called experts shaping public opinion. Not every analyst is truly independent, and some have clear interests they are working to protect.
Kelvin Emmanuel’s growing influence in economic discussions is alarming, not because he is wrong about everything, but because his arguments seem designed to serve a specific purpose, one that could ultimately hurt Nigeria’s economic landscape.
Instead of accepting biased narratives, Nigerians must demand transparency, accountability, and fair competition in the oil sector. The future of the country’s energy industry depends on it.
“Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author, Hassan Adebayo and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TheTalk.NG.”
Source: TheTalk.NG
