In a decisive move to reinvigorate Nigeria’s ailing refining sector, top executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have conducted inspection tours of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) and the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) to assess ongoing rehabilitation efforts. The visits come at a crucial time as the federal government intensifies efforts to achieve local fuel production and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.
Leading the inspection team were the NNPCL Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mr. Mumuni Dagazau, and the Executive Vice President, Upstream, Mr. Udy Ntia, who is also the chairman of the board for PHRC. The visits, which were confirmed through NNPCL’s official social media updates on Sunday, are part of the state oil company’s broader strategy to fast-track thestate oil company’s broader strategy to fast-track the return to refining operations across its facilities.
At the Kaduna Refinery, which has a nameplate capacity of 110,000 barrels per day but has remained dormant for over a decade, the executives reviewed progress under the Quick Fix project—a short-term intervention designed to restore key operational units before comprehensive rehabilitation begins.
Expressing satisfaction with the progress achieved so far, Dagazau commended the workforce for their dedication to the refinery’s revival. “We are pleased with the commitment and the visible progress on the ground. The staff have shown remarkable resilience, and their role is critical in our journey towards full operational recovery,” he stated.
The Quick Fix initiative is part of the $1.5 billion national refinery rehabilitation plan announced in 2021, which prioritizes phased restoration and functionality of Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries—Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri—before implementing deeper overhauls.
In Port Harcourt, where the refinery has an installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, the facility inspection was spearheaded by Ntia, accompanied by Dagazau. While the refinery had earlier resumed partial operations following its revamp, reports suggest it has been operating below 40 percent capacity, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the rehabilitation.
“The visit to PHRC is part of a continued oversight process to ensure the plant transitions from low output to optimal operations. This aligns with our goal of delivering consistent, quality fuel supply domestically,” Ntia said during the tour.
Images from the tour showed neither of the recently sacked Managing Directors of the Kaduna, Warri, or Port Harcourt refineries in attendance. Their absence has intensified speculation about a restructuring drive within the NNPCL, aimed at enhancing accountability and performance delivery.
Last month, NNPCL relieved the Managing Directors of its three refineries—Mustafa Sugungun (KRPC), Efifia Chu (Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company), and Ibrahim Onoja (PHRC)—following internal reviews and mounting pressure over poor performance metrics and safety lapses.
In particular, the Warri Refinery reportedly shut down operations just weeks after its reopening due to unresolved safety concerns, triggering public outrage over the billions of naira spent on its rehabilitation.
Civil society organizations, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), have called for transparency and demanded explanations from NNPCL over what they describe as “wasteful expenditure and mismanagement” of public funds.
Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer, continues to depend heavily on imported refined petroleum products due to years of underinvestment and mismanagement in its downstream sector. NNPCL’s ongoing rehabilitation agenda is seen as a critical pathway toward reversing this trend.
The leadership’s renewed visits to the refineries underscore the Tinubu administration’s commitment to achieving energy self-sufficiency and reducing the pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves caused by fuel imports.
Industry analysts believe the successful resuscitation of the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries, alongside the imminent production rollout from the Dangote Refinery, could significantly transform Nigeria’s energy landscape within the next two years.
With a scheduled completion date approaching and a new wave of leadership overseeing progress, expectations remain high that the refineries will soon return to active service, bolstering domestic fuel supply and contributing to job creation and economic stability