Warri Refinery resumes operations, Tinubu says ‘it brings joy to me’

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced on Monday that the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (Warri Refinery), with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, has resumed operations.

This development was disclosed by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, during an inspection tour of the facility.

The resumption of operations at the Warri Refinery follows weeks after the Port Harcourt Refinery commenced its 60,000-barrel-per-day operations.

Kyari was accompanied on the tour by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, alongside other key officials.

Speaking during the tour, Kyari emphasised that the inspection aimed to highlight the progress achieved at the facility. His remarks were captured in a video shared by Channels Television on today.

Situated in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji within Warri, the WRPC produces 13,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.

Commissioned in 1978 and operated by the NNPC, the refinery caters to markets across Nigeria’s southern and southwestern regions.

Reacting to the milestone, President Bola Tinubu expressed his excitement, noting, “It brings joy to me.”

President Tinubu, through a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, expressed deep satisfaction with the NNPCL for successfully reactivating the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company.

Tinubu lauded the refinery’s reopening as a major milestone for 2024, reinforcing Nigerians’ trust in his administration.

“Today, the Warri Refinery returned to operation weeks after NNPC Limited restarted the 60,000 Barrels per day at the Port Harcourt Refinery in November.

“With Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) going into operation after several years of inactivity, President Tinubu has once again expressed his administration’s determination to ramp up local refining capacity and make Nigeria a hub for downstream industrial activities in Africa”, he said.

The Muhammadu Buhari administration, under the All Progressives Congress, approved the contract for the comprehensive rehabilitation and overhaul of Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries.

President Tinubu affirmed that the Warri Refinery, now operating at 60 per cent capacity with a production output of 125,000 barrels per day (bpd), demonstrates his administration’s commitment to achieving energy efficiency and security.

He praised the Mele Kyari-led NNPCL management for their unwavering dedication to restoring Nigeria’s status and pride as a leading oil-producing nation.

“The restart of Warri Refinery today brings joy and gladness to me and Nigerians. This will further strengthen the hope and confidence of Nigerians for a greater and better future that we promised. This development is a remarkable way to end the year following the feat recorded earlier with the old Port Harcourt Refinery. I am equally happy that NNPC Limited is implementing my directive to restore all four refineries to good working condition.

“I congratulate Mele Kyari and his team at NNPCL for working hard to restore our national pride and make Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining in Africa,” President Tinubu said.

President Tinubu urged the NNPCL to expedite repairs on the Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 bpd second refinery in Port Harcourt to strengthen Nigeria’s standing as a leading global energy provider.

The WRPC will prioritise the production and storage of essential products, including Straight Run Kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), as well as heavy and light Naphtha.