Petroleum Marketers Demand Definite Timeline For Govt Refineries’ Revival

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has called on the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to provide a definite, realistic, and workable timeline for the revival of Nigeria’s refineries.

It said Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna have a combined installed production capacity of 445,000 barrels per day, noting that the Port Harcourt Refinery produces 210,000 barrels per day. In comparison, the Warri and Kaduna Refineries produce 125,000 barrels per day and 110,000 barrels per day, respectively.

PETROAN president, Dr Billy Gillis-Harry, in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, said despite this substantial capacity, the refineries have mainly remained non-operational for years.

Gillis-Harry noted with concern that over 4 billion US dollars has been spent on the rehabilitation of these refineries over time, including funds approved and disbursed for the most recent turnaround maintenance and rehabilitation contracts.

He said: “Despite this huge expenditure of taxpayers’ money, Nigerians are yet to see tangible results, raising serious questions about efficiency, accountability, and project delivery.

“Stakeholders and Nigerians are therefore asking a simple but critical question: When will Nigeria’s refineries resume production? Closely linked to this is the concern over what has become of the billions of dollars committed to their rehabilitation.

“While the NNPCL has announced that it is currently carrying out project appraisals and sourcing strategic partners, we insist that a clear timeline with measurable milestones must guide every serious project. Nigerians deserve to know exactly when these refineries will return to operation.”

The PETROAN national president expressed deep concern that Nigeria is fast approaching another election season.

Gillis-Harry noted that governance and project execution often slow during such periods, making it imperative to take decisive action in the first quarter of the year, ahead of the forthcoming election calendar.

He stated that the operationalization of Nigeria’s refineries would significantly reduce the cost of petroleum products.

According to the PETROAN leader, local refining will drastically cut importation, conserve foreign exchange, strengthen the naira, and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the petroleum value chain.

He reaffirmed the organisation’s readiness to fully support the NNPCL and the federal government in reviving all four refineries, noting that credible foreign technical and financial partners are on standby to collaborate toward achieving this national objective.