The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) will on Thursday convene a crucial meeting to deliberate on the state of Nigeria’s four government-owned refineries.
The refineries—located in Port Harcourt (two facilities), Warri, and Kaduna—have been at the centre of national controversy, with conflicting reports surrounding their functionality and production capacities.
Earlier in the year, Nigerians welcomed statements by the then Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, who claimed that the Port Harcourt refineries had resumed refining operations. However, this optimism was recently dampened by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, who remarked that the facilities “may never work again.”
Reacting to these conflicting narratives, the Chairman of the House Committee, Hon. Henry Okojie, declared the Committee’s intention to investigate the true status of the refineries. His move follows recent comments credited to the current GCEO of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, suggesting that all four refineries could be sold.
Speaking to newsmen ahead of the Thursday meeting, Okojie said the session would allow members to thoroughly examine the issues at hand and propose a path forward, with national interest as the guiding principle.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to shape future legislative and policy decisions on the management and potential privatisation of Nigeria’s refinery assets.