By: Tijani Salako.

The Lagos State Government has debunked a false report circulating in a section of the media claiming that the state is set to have a second private refinery following confirmed talks with investors.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, dismissed the report, stating that the information was wrongly attributed to him.

This clarification was made in a press release issued to journalists and signed by Mr. Mukaila Sanusi, Director of Public Affairs.

According to the statement, Dr. Olumide clarified that he did not make such comments and had not at any time granted an interview or issued any statement relating to refinery development, petroleum investment, or investor negotiations.

He explained that the statutory mandate of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, particularly regarding infrastructure development, is limited to land-use planning and control.

This includes zoning regulations, layout approvals, and the processing of physical planning and development permits in line with approved master plans and existing planning laws.

The Commissioner stressed that while major infrastructure projects, including refineries, are subject to planning approval and zoning compliance, decisions on investment promotion, project initiation, or sector-specific policy pronouncements fall outside the Ministry’s scope of responsibility.

Dr. Olumide described the attribution of statements on refinery investment discussions to him as inaccurate, misleading, and unprofessional, and called on media organisations to uphold accuracy and proper verification when reporting government activities.

He urged members of the public to disregard the report, noting that all official communications from the Ministry would continue to be issued through recognised and authorised channels.