Petroleum Minister Lokpobiri Inspects Ebenco’s 30,000-bpd Modular Refinery In Delta

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has inspected the ongoing construction of 30,000-barrel-per-day modular refinery project in Koko, Delta State, by an indigenous Nigerian energy and industrial services company, Ebenco Global Link Limited.

During the inspection, Senator Lokpobiri described the project as a strong indicator of renewed investor confidence in indigenous energy infrastructure.

He said the construction aligns with the Federal Government’s ongoing petroleum sector reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Minister also highlighted the refinery’s potential role in a broader strategy to address pipeline vandalism and illegal refining by providing legitimate, scalable alternatives within the value chain.

Senator Lokpobiri reiterated that the Tinubu administration’s reforms were deliberately structured to unlock private capital and accelerate projects that advance national energy resilience.

He emphasised that modular refining, when executed with strong governance and local fabrication, provides a practical pathway to bridging Nigeria’s supply gaps while advancing economic growth.

“The ongoing construction of 30,000-barrel-per-day modular refinery project in Koko, Delta State, is a strong indicator of renewed investor confidence in indigenous energy infrastructure.

“The construction aligns with the Federal Government’s ongoing petroleum sector reforms under the Renewed Hope agenda.

“The refinery’s potential role in a broader strategy to address pipeline vandalism and illegal refining by providing legitimate, scalable alternatives within the value chain.

“It is important to note that President Tinubu administration’s reforms are deliberately structured to unlock private capital and accelerate projects that advance national energy resilience.

“Modular refining, when executed with strong governance and local fabrication, provides a practical pathway to bridging Nigeria’s supply gaps while advancing economic growth,” he said.

Speaking on the progress at the project site, Ebenco’s chief executive officer, Dr. Ebenezer Oluwagbemiga, affirmed that the refinery was on course and will come on stream in phased capacity.

He added that beyond refining petroleum products, the project is expected to catalyze jobs, deepen local content, and materially reduce the incentives that drive illegal bunkering once full operations commence.

“We are taking this stage by stage. For now, we are starting with 5,000 barrels steamed per day.

“Beyond refining petroleum products, the project is expected to catalyze jobs, deepen local content, and materially reduce the incentives that drive illegal bunkering once full operations commence,” Oluwagbemiga stated.

From a project governance and value-chain standpoint, Dr. Peter Akindeju, Ebenco’s Management Consultant, said the refinery’s modular, batch-based production architecture represented a rare leap in indigenous engineering and commercialisation, with strong potential to shorten delivery cycles and improve operational flexibility.

He praised the Executive Chairman, Dr. Ebenezer Oluwagbemiga, for the strategic clarity and persistence that have sustained momentum and appealed to the Federal Government to classify the project under pioneer status as a catalytic investment aligned with national refining, jobs, and energy-security priorities.

Associate Professor at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Dr. Omonigho Otanocha, who was on the visit, praised Ebenco’s investment as a landmark contribution to Nigeria’s industrial self-reliance.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for providing the right policy framework which has enabled such innovative as this modular refinery.

He further noted that the Koko refinery embodied the growing capacity of Nigerian firms to lead complex midstream and downstream infrastructure development, rather than rely primarily on imported solutions.