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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has challenged Mele Kyari, Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to explain how the $2.9 billion earmarked for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries was spent. Falana raised concerns over the state of the Port-Harcourt refinery, which is currently processing only 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day, far below its 150,000 bpd capacity. He also questioned the neglect of the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
Falana spoke at the commissioning of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Tower in Lagos on Wednesday. The event was attended by key figures in the oil and gas sector, including Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Festus Osifo, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
“I challenge NUPENG and PENGASSAN to tell Nigerians the actual state of the refineries. Only 60,000 barrels per day are being blended, while NNPCL remains silent on the remaining 150,000 bpd and the conditions of the Warri and Kaduna refineries,” Falana stated.
He further criticized NNPCL for not providing an explanation for the alleged diversion of the $2.9 billion allocated for the refineries’ rehabilitation.
In response, Mele Kyari assured the gathering that the Port-Harcourt refinery was operational, though SaharaReporters had recently reported that the refinery was only running its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), which produces naphtha, kerosene, and diesel, but is not capable of producing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
We revealed earlier that the refinery was blending “Crack C5 with naphtha” to create PMS, a process that some staff warned could negatively affect vehicles. The secondary units required to fully process PMS are still not operational, with no clear timeline for their commissioning. According to sources, the refinery’s full capacity of 150,000 bpd is expected to commence operations in 2026, contingent on securing additional funds.
NNPCL confirmed that the Port-Harcourt refinery is currently running at 70% of its installed capacity, producing Straight-Run Gasoline (naphtha) and blending it into 1.4 million liters of PMS daily, a far cry from the 150,000 bpd capacity.
