The Port Harcourt Refining Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) in Rivers State, has once again failed to resume operations, despite repeated assurances from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC.
This marks the sixth postponement of the refinery’s restart, according to reports from “The PUNCH”
Since December 2023, NNPC has issued several promises, setting various dates for the refinery to begin producing refined products.
However, these commitments have not materialized. In July, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, confidently stated that the refinery would be operational by early August.
This was just one in a series of promises, as Kyari had previously vowed in 2019 to bring all four government-owned refineries online before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
During a Senate appearance in July, Kyari reaffirmed that the Port Harcourt refinery would start operations by early August, while the Kaduna and Warri refineries would follow by December.
Yet, as mid-August approaches, the refinery remains idle, raising doubts about the NNPC’s ability to meet its commitments.
When questioned about the missed deadline, NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye simply stated, “We are on course,” without providing further details on when the refinery might actually begin operations.
The Port Harcourt refinery, which has a capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, was reportedly nearing “mechanical completion” in December, according to NNPC.
It was initially expected to process 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily by early January 2024, following a successful test run.
Despite these assurances, the refinery has yet to commence production.
In March, NNPC received 475,000 barrels of crude oil from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, sparking hope that operations would soon begin.
However, as the months passed, the refinery remained inactive, with NNPC citing delays in obtaining regulatory approvals from international bodies as the latest hurdle.
This ongoing stagnation has frustrated many Nigerians, who continue to depend on imported fuel due to the country’s lack of refining capacity.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, addressing lawmakers in Abeokuta, recalled his unsuccessful attempts to involve Shell in managing Nigeria’s refineries during his tenure.
He attributed the persistent failure to corruption and mismanagement within the NNPC, lamenting that “in a civilized society, those people should be in jail.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has expressed concern over the $1.5 billion approved in 2021 for the refinery’s renovation, questioning the lack of progress despite the significant investment.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, chairing an ad-hoc committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, criticized the neglect of government-owned refineries while private businesses in the sector continue to thrive.
Nigerians remain hopeful that once the Port Harcourt refinery becomes operational, it will reduce the country’s reliance on fuel imports and lower the pump price of petrol.
However, the repeated delays have cast doubt on whether these expectations will ever be met.
