Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, announced on Friday that rehabilitation efforts will have the Port Harcourt Refinery Company operational again this December.
Lokpobiri announced this during an inspection tour to the Port Harcourt refinery alongside other officials, including the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
Based on the progress made on the restoration project, Lokpobiri stated the plant is on track to resume production before the year’s end.
The minister said the goal is for Nigeria to stop importing fuel within the next few years. In addition to Port Harcourt, he noted the Warri refinery is slated to restart by Q1 2023 while the Kaduna refinery will come online by end of 2023.
“If you add that to the Dangote Refinery, we will be able to stop fuel importation, and Nigerians will enjoy the full benefits of deregulation,” Lokpobiri said.
Lokpobiri expressed satisfaction with the rehabilitation efforts during the inspection tour. He said once Nigeria’s refineries are fully operational, it will improve domestic petroleum supplies and conservation of foreign reserves.
The NNPC Group CEO Mele Kyari reaffirmed the company’s commitment to reviving the refineries and boosting Nigeria’s energy self-sufficiency. He stated the goal is for Nigeria to become a net exporter of petroleum products by 2024.
