9am News Nigeria: Amid Nigeria’s ongoing fuel challenges, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has missed several deadlines for the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery.
The refinery, which has been touted to begin functioning on seven different occasions, remains non-operational as of the latest report. This has exacerbated the country’s reliance on fuel imports, despite promises of refining capacity restoration.
In July 2024, NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, assured Nigerians that the refinery would be operational by early August. However, this promise—like those before it—was not fulfilled. Kyari had previously guaranteed that the country’s refineries would be functional by the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in May 2023.
NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, later assured that the Port Harcourt refinery would commence operations in September 2024, another unfulfilled promise.
Responding to Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who inquired about the refinery’s timeline, the contractor overseeing the Port Harcourt refinery’s rehabilitation stated they would provide details by October 2, 2024.
Despite spending significant funds on refinery rehabilitation, Nigeria continues to import refined petrol, with 20.2 billion litres imported in 2023 alone. The inability to revive the refineries leaves the country with no significant fuel production to show for these efforts.
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