The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed rumors claiming that the recently resuscitated Port Harcourt refinery has been shut down. According to a statement from Olufemi Soneye, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, the refinery is “fully operational” and these reports are baseless fabrications aimed at stirring panic and exploiting Nigerians.
Refinery shutdowns are a sensitive topic in Nigeria. Given the years of fuel shortages, rising prices, and endless promises, it’s easy to see why such rumors gained traction. However, the NNPCL insists that the 60,000 barrels-per-day old Port Harcourt refinery, which came back online just two months ago after years of neglect, is running smoothly. In fact, the refinery’s operations were recently verified by former NNPC Group Managing Directors, no less.
The statement assured Nigerians that preparations for daily loading operations are ongoing. It went further to accuse rumor-mongers of trying to create an artificial fuel scarcity for personal gain, adding, “Members of the public are advised to disregard these false reports.”
It’s worth recalling that the Federal Government approved $1.5 billion to repair the Port Harcourt refinery in 2021, after it was shut down in 2019. Despite Nigeria’s status as one of the world’s largest crude oil producers, it has embarrassingly relied on imported petroleum products for decades. This dependency has drained foreign reserves and forced the country into an endless cycle of fuel importation and subsidies.
NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, provided an optimistic update. The 150,000 barrels-per-day new Port Harcourt Refining Company complex is expected to start operations by mid-2025. Meanwhile, the old complex is said to be performing exceptionally, capable of feeding 200,000 trucks with various petroleum products daily. Kyari also emphasized that a complete overhaul of outdated equipment was the major hurdle to reviving the old facility.
For decades, Nigerians have been promised functional refineries, yet they’ve only seen more fuel imports, corruption, and inefficiency. While the NNPCL boasts of progress, citizens remain wondering. After all, the government has a history of claiming “full operations” at refineries only for the situation to crumble weeks later.
On the brighter side, the much-hyped Dangote Refinery finally began producing petrol in September 2024. However, its timeline was also affected with delays.
