Oil marketers under the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) have called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to provide a clear and workable timeline for the revival of Nigeria’s refineries. The association expressed concern over repeated delays, noting that Nigerians deserve transparency on when the refineries will become operational, especially with the election season approaching.
PETROAN highlighted that over $4 billion has already been spent on rehabilitating the refineries, yet tangible results remain elusive. In a statement, National President Billy Gillis-Harry emphasized that the lack of operational refineries raises serious questions about accountability, project management, and efficiency. “Nigerians deserve to know exactly when these refineries will return to operation,” he said.
The country’s refineries—Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna—have a combined capacity of 445,000 barrels per day but have largely remained non-operational for years. PETROAN stressed that a clear timeline with measurable milestones is crucial, particularly as governance and project execution tend to slow ahead of elections. Reviving these facilities, the association notes, would reduce petroleum import costs, conserve foreign exchange, strengthen the naira, and create thousands of jobs across the petroleum sector.
Gillis-Harry reaffirmed PETROAN’s readiness to support NNPCL and the Federal Government, noting that credible international technical and financial partners are ready to collaborate. The association also praised NNPC for awarding an assessment contract for the Port Harcourt refinery to UOP, a renowned international firm, under the Technical and Equity (T&E) partnership model. PETROAN advocates for a transparent and accelerated revival process free from political interference.
The call comes after PETROAN’s September 2025 recommendation that reputable foreign firms be considered as partners in managing the refineries. With billions already invested, the association insists that the government and NNPCL act decisively in the first quarter of 2026 to operationalize the refineries, ahead of Nigeria’s forthcoming election calendar. For PETROAN, this is not just a matter of economics—it is about national energy security, job creation, and public accountability.
source: nairametrics