…Retailers Demand Urgent Revival Of PH, Warri, Kaduna Plants
…Say Local Refining Will Slash Fuel Imports, Save Forex
…. Urges FG, NNPC To Fix Firm Deadlines For Restart
Daud Olatunji
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has disclosed that over $4bn has been spent on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, yet the facilities remain largely non-operational, raising fresh concerns over accountability and project execution.
In a statement on Wednesday, PETROAN’s National Public Relations Officer, Dr Joseph Obele, quoted the association’s National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, as describing the situation as unacceptable, given the scale of public funds committed to the projects over several years.
According to the association, the figure covers funds approved and disbursed for multiple turnaround maintenance exercises and recent rehabilitation contracts. However, Nigerians, it said, are yet to see tangible outcomes from the huge investments.
“Our refineries have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day — Port Harcourt, 210,000; Warri, 125,000; and Kaduna, 110,000 — yet they have remained dormant for years.
The critical question Nigerians are asking is simple: when will these refineries resume production, and what has happened to the billions of dollars already spent?” PETROAN stated.
The association called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to provide a definite, realistic and workable timeline for the revival of the facilities, insisting that every serious project must be guided by measurable milestones and strict deliverables.
While acknowledging NNPC’s recent disclosure that it is conducting project appraisals and sourcing strategic partners, PETROAN stressed that delays have become untenable, especially as Nigeria edges closer to another election cycle.
“Governance and project execution typically slow down during election seasons. That is why decisive action must be taken within the first quarter of the year to prevent further stagnation,” Gillis-Harry said.
He noted that restoring domestic refining would drastically reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports, conserve foreign exchange, strengthen the naira and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the petroleum value chain.
PETROAN reaffirmed its readiness to support both NNPC and the Federal Government in reviving the nation’s refineries, adding that credible foreign technical and financial partners were on standby to collaborate toward achieving the long-delayed national objective.
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