Port Harcourt, Nigeria – The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has once again failed to commence fuel production at the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State, missing the most recent September 2024 deadline. This marks the seventh postponement, despite several assurances from both the NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
In August, NNPC’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, had assured Nigerians that petroleum products would be ready for testing and distribution by September. However, with the month now over, no updates have been provided. Efforts to contact the NNPC for clarification yielded no response.
The contractor overseeing the refinery’s rehabilitation, Maire Tecnimont SpA, has pledged to provide a detailed update on or before October 2, following inquiries from Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.
This comes after multiple previous failed promises, including a guarantee by NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, that the Port Harcourt refinery would be operational by August. Nigerians remain hopeful that the refinery will eventually reduce the nation’s dependency on imported fuel, a major drain on the economy.