By Stephen Ubanna
Between 2021 and now, past and present Government of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu had worked to revive the country’s broken down three refineries located in PortHarcourt, Rivers state, Warri, Delta state and the north western state of Kaduna, with a total installed production capacity of 445,000blc.
Until he vacated office on May 29, 2024, former President Muhammadu Buhari had awarded the Noth American country of the United States, US, $1.5 billion contract for the Turn Around Maintenance , TAM , of the 210 b/d, PortHarcourt refinery in Rivers state to Maire Tecnimont SPA, which was said to have refused to disclose the completion date while the TAM, of the Kaduna refinery and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company was handed over to Daewoo Engineering and Construction Company Nigeria Limited . The TAM, contract of the 110,000b/d, Kaduna refinery was said to have been awarded to the South Korrea Multinational company on the sum of US, $741million, with a 24 months completion period while the sum of US. $586 million was set aside overhaul of the 125,000 b/d, Warri refining and Petrochemical company, also handled by the South Korea firm, Dawoo E&C, Nig.ltd, with a 26 months completion period. The former Lagos state governor who had inherited the uncompleted state-owned refineries may have been encouraged to pile up pressure on the foreign contractors handling the rehabilitation of the broken down PorthHarcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries to facilitate the their work because Aliko Dangote , a multi-billionaire business mogul could cough out US,$20 billion , to single handedly build a 650,000b/d , which had started production of Automotive Gas, AGO, popular, diesel, , Aviation fuel and Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, known in local parlance as petrol.

With the support of the Nigerian President, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state, Petroleum Resources, who was said to not to have given the contractors a breather was said to have sounded it loud and clear that it is the responsibility of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, now baptized, Nigerian National Petroleum Company ltd, NNPCL, with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, by the National Assembly that had been signed into Law by the then President on August, 2021 for the timely renovation of the state -owned refineries.
The Bayelsa state born politician, may have shocked Nigerians when he revealed in Nov, 5 2023, that $25 billion had been spent in 10 years, by the Federal Government in fixing the refineries, but not much had been achieved. The minister who was not ready to take any excuse from Mele Kolo Kyari, led NNPCL, for the continued delay on the completion of the rehabilitation of the state-owned refineries and who in turn-was said to have taken it up on the Contracting firm may have forced them to double their efforts in executing the projects.

The NNPCL, Group Managing Director, GMD, may have succeeded in getting the two multinational Companies, Maire Technimont SPA, and Dawoo E&C company Nigeria Ltd to hasten work on the projects. It was not surprising why the Italian firm, Maire Technimont SPA, handling the repair of the old and new PortHarcourt Refining and Petrochemical plant of 60,000b/d plant and the new 150,000b/d, facility , was said to have quickly rushed to complete the rehabilitation of the 60,000b/d, old PortHarcourt refinery which was said to have started humming since November 2024, while work on the 150,000b/d plant is still ongoing because of the technicalities involved. NNPCL officials had repeatedly said that that 210,0000b/d PortHarcourt refinery, comprising both the old, built around 1965, by Shell Petroleum Development, SPDC, and the new facility have reached what the oil octopus had called technical completion of rehabilitation work in December 2023. Many had expected firm which had constructed the 150,000b/d, new PortHarcourt refinery to deliver on the project but are still foot-dragging on it while Dawoo E&C ,Nig.Ltd, had beaten the company to it to deliver on the 125,000b/d Warri refinery and working round the clock to deliver on the 110,000B/D Kaduna refinery as well.
An elated President Tinubu, who could not hide his feelings had expressed his profound joy at the Completion of the Warri refinery rehabilitation work and the reopening of the facility to start production, weeks after NNPCL restarted the 60,000b/d old PortHarcourt refinery in November 2024.
The Nigerian President, who could not hide his feelings had said that the Warri Refining and Petrochemical company, WRPC, going into operation after several years of inactivity, has once again expressed his Administration’s determination ‘’to rump up local refining capacity and make Nigeria a hub for downstream industrial activities in Africa.

The Nigerian President was said to have also urged Kyari, the GMD, of NNPCL and his Management Team to accelerate repair work on the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical plant and the completion of 150,000b/d PortHarcourt refinery to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply in Nigeria and further consolidate the country’s position as a global energy provider.
Aware that the full restoration of the 445,000b/d, existing four refineries in the country operated by NNPCL, will make the country to become self -sufficient in Petroleum Production for sales in the local market may have encouraged Dangote refinery to strike a deal with Ardova plc, described as one of Nigeria’s major Integrated downstream oil and gas businesses for a bulk purchase of its product.
That much was confirmed by Grant Onome, Head of Brands and Corporate Communications of Dangote refinery, stating that that the Nigerian Company going by the deal will see the Nigerian company off take a full slate of Petroleum from the refinery.
An insider had confirmed that Ardova plc, had been a significant off-taker from the refinery since its inception. Recall that the Kano state born multi-billionaire, owned refinery had earlier entered into partnership with MRS, to sell its produced PMS, at N935.00 per litre nationwide at its retail outlets.

Dangot, who incidentally is the President Dangote Industries had confirmed that the recent reduction on the price of PMS, produced in the company’s refinery to N899.50 per litre at its loading entry was driven by the complex dynamics of market forces. Putting on the garb of a businessman, who is out to make profit from his investments, he had said it is his responsibility ‘’to safeguard both the interest and investments of the multi-billion -dollar company.
He had alluded to the fact that on Dec.19, 2024, the Dangote refinery had reduced the ex-dept price from N970. 00 N899.50 per litre, which was said to have sparked intense price competition in the country’s downstream sector, forcing NNPCL, Authorities to reduce its ex-depot price to N899.00 per litre.
With the restoration of the country’s broken -down refineries to resume production of Petroleum Products, alongside other completed local refineries like the 650,00b/d, Dangote refinery, which had started production, and Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Company icluding, Duport Midstream Walter Smith refinery OPAC refinery in Delta state and Niger Delta Petroleum refinery,among others, which will require crude oil supplies from NNPCL, and all the other local oil Companies, may have informed why the Nigerian Navy under the close watch of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, had said that the Navy is committed to ensuring that Nigerian oil production increase to 3mbd from the current level of N1.8mbd, by December 2025, in line with the directive of President Tinubu.

The Naval Chief, noted that since the Launch of Delta Sanity, it has curbed crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism, which he had said had improved the nation’s crude oil production from 1.4mbd to 1.8mbd in the recent time.
He had said that the 3mbd, oil production target in the Niger Delta region is achievable by December 2025, with all the new assets it is bringing on board, particular, arms, surveillance attack drones, helicopters, and different other assets including sharing intelligence with other security agencies, The 3mbd, oil production target will be achieved and even surpassed by December, 2025. Vice Admiral Ogalla, may have taken the initiative to make the bold statement because the Nigerian President had enjoined the Navy ‘’to ensure that the country’s waterways are safe’’.