The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to expedite the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation of the Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt refineries.
In a statement released on Monday, PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harris, expressed concern over the repeated delays affecting the refinery projects, despite several commitments made by the NNPC.
“Despite numerous assurances from the NNPC, the projects have suffered repeated setbacks, with completion deadlines being missed multiple times,” he said.
Gillis-Harris said the current state of the refineries is affecting the distribution and affordability of petroleum products across the country, particularly in the System 2E region, which comprises about 13 states.
He said while PETROAN acknowledged the commencement of operations at the Old Port Harcourt Refinery with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, attention must urgently shift to the second Port Harcourt Refinery (210,000 bpd), and the stalled rehabilitation works at the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
He also urged the NNPC to provide a specific and realistic timeline for the completion and commissioning of the remaining projects.
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“The continuous delay is unacceptable. Nigerians deserve to know when these projects will be completed,” he said.
Gillis-Harris called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by setting up a high-level panel involving stakeholders such as NMDPRA, NUPRC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, MEMAN, DAPPMAN, and PETROAN to identify challenges and ensure timely completion.
He also raised concerns over the vacant position of the managing director at the Port Harcourt Refining Company, describing it as a potential barrier to progress.
PETROAN said the delay and lack of transparency around the projects were worsening the nation’s fuel challenges and demanded accountability for funds allocated for the rehabilitations.