The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has missed its deadline to commence fuel production at the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State for the sixth time as of August 2024.
Despite assurances from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC, the project remains stalled.
In December 2023, NNPC claimed mechanical completion of rehabilitation work and promised production resumption by January 2024. This date was later shifted to April, then July, and most recently, September 2024 ¹. The Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, had assured that petroleum products would be ready for testing and supply to the domestic market in September.
The NNPC has failed to provide updates on the refinery’s status, ignoring inquiries from journalists and stakeholders. The Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, did not respond to enquiries sent on September 22 and 30, 2024.
Maire Tecnimont SpA, the contractor handling the rehabilitation, promised to provide details on the project’s completion by October 2, 2024, in response to a letter from Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana ² ³.
The country spends up to N2tn monthly on imported fuel due to lack of refining capacity. The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, revealed that $4bn has been spent attempting to revive Nigeria’s refineries. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar advocated for the sale of government refineries to private individuals, criticizing the $1.5bn loan acquired for renovation and modernization.
Nigerians eagerly await the refinery’s commencement, hoping for an end to fuel importation and reduced pump prices.
