The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced plans to shift in its strategy for managing the nation’s refineries, stating it will select technical equity partners with proven international track records for the operation and maintenance of its facilities.
The move is aimed at ensuring the refineries, including those undergoing rehabilitation in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna to operate at peak efficiency and meet global safety and output standards.
Bashir Ojulari, group chief executive officer of NNPC announced this in a post on X on Wednesday. With this move, the company may transit from being a direct operator of the refining assets to a strategic overseer and major equity holder.
According to Ojulari, the company aims to complete the requisite agreements to commence the implementation of high-grade repairs or upgrades as required in the refineries.
He explained that a technical and commercial review is currently ongoing for a comprehensive assessment of all three refineries to determine whether to upgrade or repurpose them as may be required to ensure optimal performance and sustainability.
He noted that the energy security and asset optimisation drive is aimed at ensuring NNPC’s capacity to meet the PIA requirement as the supplier of last resort for petroleum products and to guarantee the efficient and profitable operation of the refineries.
“We are filled with determination. We are looking ahead with optimism to ensure our refineries operate effectively. We are dedicating significant time to a detailed review and are eager to implement our insights.
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“What fuels our drive is the understanding that the prosperity of the Nigerian states and the future success of Nigeria will always take precedence over any individual interests. This very commitment inspires us as we anticipate creating sustainable solutions for our refineries in the near future.
“We’re repositioning as a commercially driven, transparent energy company serving Nigerians,” Ojulari said.
The resuscitation of the the facilities had become imperative as the country still depend on imports to meet its petrol demand.
Available statistics from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that Nigeria imported about 15.01 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) between August 2024 and the first 10 days of October 2025.
This represents nearly 69 percent of the 21.68 billion litres total supplied in the period, leaving 6.67 billion litres, or 31 per cent, coming from domestic refining.
