NNPCL faces backlash as operation of local refineries stall again

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) is under renewed scrutiny as local refineries, including the Port Harcourt Refinery, remain non-operational despite repeated assurances.

The Niger Delta Development & Transformation Initiative (NDDTI) has accused the NNPCL of deceiving Nigerians and failing to meet multiple deadlines.

In a statement on Thursday, November 21, NDDTI spokesperson Barr. Lawrence Etienne criticised NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, for allegedly misleading the public about refinery rehabilitation timelines.

“NNPCL has shifted the goalposts countless times. It promised mechanical completion in July 2024 and refinery operations in August, yet nothing has been delivered,” said Etienne.

The group highlighted Kyari’s earlier claims in 2019 that all four Nigerian refineries would be operational by the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2023.

“One and a half years after Buhari’s exit, no refinery is functional despite billions of dollars in government funding,” the statement read.

NDDTI further accused Kyari of providing false assurances to the Senate, claiming that Nigeria would become a net exporter of petroleum products by the end of 2024.

“Instead of fulfilling these promises, Nigeria remains an importer of sulphur-laden petroleum products, worsening environmental and mechanical hazards,” Etienne lamented.

On Monday, NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer Olufemi Soneye defended the corporation’s delays, citing unforeseen challenges in the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, a brownfield project.

However, Soneye refrained from providing a new completion deadline.

The Port Harcourt Refinery, established in 1965, has been non-functional for years despite a $1.5 billion loan secured in 2021 for its renovation.

Nigerians, already burdened by high fuel prices, had hoped that local refining would reduce costs and end dependency on imported fuel.

NDDTI has demanded Kyari’s resignation, stating, “The NNPCL must stop deceiving Nigerians. If Kyari cannot deliver, he should step aside.”

The group insists that revitalising local refineries is the only sustainable solution to Nigeria’s energy crisis. The stalled projects remain a sore point, with many citizens questioning the management of public funds and the government’s commitment to ending fuel importation.