The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has raised fresh concerns over the prolonged delays in the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s three major refineries—Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna—calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
Despite repeated assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, PETROAN says the projects remain stalled, with missed deadlines and growing public frustration.
“While we acknowledge and applaud the commencement of the Old Port Harcourt refinery with the capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, we cannot stress enough the urgent need for commissioning, transparency and accountability of the second Port Harcourt Refinery, the Warri refinery, and the Kaduna Refinery,” PETROAN said in an official statement.
The association stressed the strategic importance of the 210,000 barrels-per-day second Port Harcourt refinery, noting that it would serve the System 2E zone, covering 13 states. “The current cost of transportation is highly exorbitant and affects the affordability of petroleum products in System 2E areas,” the group warned.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, PETROAN National President Billy Gillis Harry emphasized that the repeated delays are unacceptable:“The huge amount borrowed for the projects should be a serious concern to all citizens, and we will demand accountability for every naira spent.”
He called on the federal government to set up a high-level panel involving key stakeholders like NMDPRA, NUPRC, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN to resolve bottlenecks and fast-track project delivery.
PETROAN also highlighted leadership gaps as a critical barrier to progress, pointing to the vacant position of Managing Director at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
“We strongly recommend that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC appoint a substantive Managing Director for the Port Harcourt Refinery in the shortest possible time,” the statement read.
The group commended President Tinubu for appointing Bayo Ojulari as the new Group CEO of NNPC and urged him to see the role as “a call to national duty” and prioritize refinery completion.
PETROAN concluded by stating that the delays are worsening economic hardship for millions and called for swift, decisive action to bring the projects to completion.
