The Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, have landed at the Kaduna refinery. Their mission: to assess the progress of the ongoing quick-fix project at this crucial facility.
In addition to this hands-on inspection, Minister Lokpobiri and CEO Kyari are in Kaduna to participate in the 14th Refineries Rehabilitation Steering Committee meeting. This event signifies a pivotal step in the country’s efforts to revitalize its ailing refineries.
The Kaduna refinery project is closely aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Ministry of Petroleum and NNPC Limited. This directive sets the stage for the revival of Nigeria’s stagnant refineries, ultimately enabling the domestic refining of crude oil.
The Kaduna refinery, with a capacity of 110,000 barrels per day (bpd), stands as one of Nigeria’s four idle refineries that have remained dormant for many years. This prolonged inactivity has forced the nation to heavily rely on imported petroleum products, a costly dependence.
Official sources reveal that the last major maintenance overhaul for the Kaduna refinery took place approximately fifteen years ago. In a significant move toward change, in February 2023, NNPC Limited inked an agreement with Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited, a Korean company, to spearhead the rehabilitation of the Kaduna refinery. This partnership signifies a critical stride towards enhancing local crude oil refining capabilities in Nigeria.
