Petrol importation will stop this year, NNPC assures Nigerians

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has assured Nigerians that the importation of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, will end by the end of the current year.

Kyari disclosed this at a book launch in Abuja, represented by the NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Isa Ajiya.

Despite its status as one of the highest crude oil producers in the world, Nigeria still relies solely on imported petrol for its burgeoning population.

Successive governments have failed to revamp the four state-owned refineries, which have been comatose for over three decades.

However, the Dangote refinery, coupled with the ongoing repair of the government-owned ones, has provided a ray of hope for the citizens.

And as promised by Kyari, petrol importation may soon be a thing of the past with local refineries coming on stream.

At the book launch, the NNPCL boss said, “We have moved from a loss-making corporation within six months of taking over, and we have declared profit.

“We have moved the company that is focused on Upstream development to Refinery and Downstream marketing.

“The culture of selling crude outside and Importing refined will stop this year. Nigerians will not be buying Petroleum products refined abroad but products refined locally."

Pulse reported that Kyari said the Port Harcourt refinery would begin production in two weeks.

He said this after meeting with the Senate Ad-hoc Committee, investigating various Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of Nigerian refineries.

He also disclosed that mechanical works have been completed on the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, adding that the latter would commence operations in December this year.