NNPC Chief Kyari Sets December 2023 as Start Date for Port Harcourt Refinery Revival

Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has set a definitive timeline for the revival of the Port Harcourt refinery, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s energy sector. 

In a recent meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Kyari confirmed that the Port Harcourt refinery is slated to commence operations by December 2023. 

This announcement is part of a broader strategy by the NNPC to overhaul state-run refineries across the country. Following the Port Harcourt refinery’s revival, plans are in place for the Warri refinery to begin operations in early 2024, with the Kaduna refinery expected to follow by the end of the same year. This comprehensive rehabilitation effort is aimed at ending Nigeria’s dependence on petrol imports by December 2024, positioning the country as a net exporter of petroleum products.

Kyari’s commitment reflects an optimistic outlook for Nigeria’s energy sector, with the inclusion of initiatives such as small-scale refineries and the upcoming Dangote refinery. These efforts are expected to significantly bolster Nigeria’s petroleum product output and reduce the need for fuel importation.

Concurrently, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas called for the privatization of refineries, arguing that some businesses are more efficiently run by the private sector. He emphasized the need for refineries to have multi-dimensional uses and to remain operational regardless of crude oil availability. 

This stance stems from a growing realization that the inefficiencies of state-run refineries may become more apparent in the face of competition from private entities like the Dangote refinery.

NNPC set to provide Dangote refinery with crude oil

Further highlighting the urgency of this issue, the National Assembly, in August 2023, announced plans to probe the alleged N11.3 trillion expenditure by the Federal Government on Nigeria’s refineries’ turn-around maintenance between 2010 and 2020. This investigation underscores concerns over the deplorable state of the country’s refineries despite substantial investments over the past decade.

In addition to these developments, the NNPC plans to provide the Dangote oil refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, with up to six shipments of crude oil in December for testing. This move, part of a one-year agreement, aligns with Kyari’s vision of a revitalized and self-sufficient Nigerian petroleum sector.