Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, said that the responsibility for the timely renovation of state-owned refineries squarely falls on the NNPCL. He emphasized his commitment to holding the NNPCL accountable for the completion dates of the country’s refinery rehabilitation.
He disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the end of the three-day retreat at the Presidential Villa.
When asked about the expected completion dates for the refinery rehabilitation, Lokpobiri explained, “I have gone round all the refineries, and from what they have briefed me, Port Harcourt’s Phase 1 will be ready by the end of this year.
“I am not the one who is directly in charge of rehabilitation; it is the NNPCL, and they have told me, and I am holding them accountable.”
He continued by outlining the progress in various phases of rehabilitation, stating, “For Warri refinery, they said Phase 1 will be ready by the end of the year.
“Phase 2 and 3 in Port Harcourt will be ready next year, and the whole of Kaduna refinery will be ready by the end of next year. That is what they said, and I am holding them accountable to their own words.”
Lokpobiri stressed the need to boost domestic production to support the refineries.
He acknowledged the upcoming Dangote refinery and the challenges faced by modular refineries due to limited feedstock.
To address this, he has streamlined the licensing process for modular refineries, stating, “I have also said I don’t want to give people licenses and they use it as souvenirs; if you are given a license, you must use it within the terms or else I will cancel it.”
Lokpobiri highlighted that increasing production is crucial to resolving the country’s fuel crisis.
He expressed confidence in addressing issues related to insecurity, lack of investments, and other concerns in the oil sector and aims to achieve ambitious production targets. “Before the end of the year, we should be doing at least close to 2 million barrels per day,” he said.
