President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for successfully revitalizing the Port Harcourt Refinery and directed the company to expedite the reactivation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries, as well as the second Port Harcourt refinery.
This was disclosed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, titled “President Tinubu celebrates revival of Port Harcourt refinery and directs NNPC Limited to promptly reactivate Warri and Kaduna refineries.”
According to the statement, Tinubu acknowledged former President Muhammadu Buhari’s role in initiating the comprehensive rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries and expressed gratitude to the African Export-Import Bank for financing the project. He also praised NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, for his leadership and dedication in overcoming challenges to achieve this milestone.
The Port Harcourt Refinery, located in Rivers State, comprises two facilities: the Old Refinery (built in 1965, with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day) and the New Refinery (constructed in 1989, adding 150,000 bpd capacity), giving it a total capacity of 210,000 bpd. Despite this, the refinery operated far below capacity for decades due to poor maintenance, inadequate investment, and corruption.
The rehabilitation of the refinery began under the Buhari administration, with a $1.5 billion financing package led by the African Export-Import Bank. While mechanical work was completed in early 2024, commissioning critical units faced delays due to technical challenges. The refinery is now set to start delivering 60,000 bpd of Premium Motor Spirit, diesel, and other products to the local market starting November 26, 2024.
Reacting to this achievement, President Tinubu said the efforts would significantly enhance Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity alongside contributions from privately-owned refineries. He emphasized that his administration is committed to making Nigeria a major energy hub and eradicating the perception of the country as a crude oil producer unable to refine its resources for domestic use.
The President reiterated his administration’s focus on energy sufficiency, security, and export capacity under the Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing the importance of accountability and integrity in rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.
