The Port Harcourt refinery will start operating by December 2023, according to the federal government, which is led by Bola Tinubu.
Keep in mind that Timipre Sylva, the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, predicted that the old Port Harcourt refinery will start operating by the end of 2022.
In March 2023, Sylva stated during a gathering that the facility would start refining operations before the end of the second quarter.
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However, Heineken Lokpobiri, the new minister of state for petroleum resources (Oil), has stated that the Port Harcourt refinery will join before the end of the year due to the degree of progress seen in the facility’s renovation.
According to a statement made by the NNPC Limited spokesperson, Garba Muhammad, he said this on Friday while on an inspection tour of the restoration work being done at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Limited plant.
According to the minister, Kaduna will also join the network before the end of the year, and the Warri refinery would start operating by the end of the first quarter.
Lokpobiri said he was pleased with the refinery’s ongoing restoration work and added that the tour’s goal was to ensure that Nigeria would stop importing fuel within the next few years.
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He said: “From what we have seen here today, Port Harcourt Refinery will come on board by the end of the year, Warri will come on stream by the end of the first quarter of next year, and Kaduna will also come on board towards the end of next year.
“If you add that to the Dangote Refinery, we will be able to stop fuel importation, and Nigerians will enjoy the full benefits of deregulation.”
Petrol is crucial to Nigeria’s economy, according to Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), who also spoke during the tour.
According to him, Nigerians will benefit from a better supply of petroleum products and domestic currency once all the refineries are up and running, which will strengthen the economy of the nation.
Restoring the refineries to their peak performance is a national dream, according to Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC, who also noted that the corporation is committed to making that happen.
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According to Kyari, by the next year, the nation will be a net exporter of petroleum products.
He said: “We are aware of our nation’s challenges in terms of fuel supply. But we are not here to give excuses. We are focused on delivering this rehabilitation project, our two other refineries, and all other investments towards revamping the nation’s refining capacity.”
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