The National Civil Society Coalition (NCSCN), a group of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria, has announced plans to visit the Port Harcourt refinery for an independent evaluation in January 2025. A dedicated 50-person committee has been formed to carry out this assessment.
Blessing Akinsolotu, the head of NCSCN, stated that this visit is crucial due to concerns raised about the refinery’s integrity. The Port Harcourt refinery, which has a production capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, was reopened with much celebration on November 26, 2024, following a $1.5 billion rehabilitation approved in March 2021.
Akinsolotu emphasized the importance of functional refineries to ease the hardships faced by Nigerians, particularly due to frequent fuel shortages during peak seasons. He noted the positive impact of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) in stabilizing fuel supply and distribution during the festive period, unlike previous years.
As part of its efforts to provide transparency, NCSCN will lead a team of strategic stakeholders on an assessment tour of the refinery in January. The goal is to gather firsthand information about the refinery’s production capacity and operational performance, with the findings to be shared publicly for the benefit of Nigerians and global stakeholders.
This initiative follows NNPCL’s recent announcement of surpassing its profit projections for 2024, achieving a record N3.29 trillion in profit, highlighting the company’s growing competence in refinery operations.
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