Despite the Nigerian government spending over $1.5 billion on refinery rehabilitation projects, the country’s state-owned refineries remain largely non-functional. The Warri Refinery, which was recently celebrated as “back in action,” has reportedly shut down again just weeks after relaunch. Meanwhile, the much-anticipated Port Harcourt Refinery is yet to commence full operations, despite repeated government assurances and missed deadlines.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had earlier announced that the refineries in Warri and Port Harcourt would contribute significantly to local fuel production, easing Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports. However, insiders now say the Warri plant has gone quiet again, with no output and no clear timeline for restart.
At the heart of the issue is a transparency gap. The federal government has poured billions of dollars, most recently over $1.5 billion into reviving the refineries, yet there is little to show in terms of sustained output or cost recovery. Critics argue that the investments are not yielding value for money and are instead becoming another chapter in Nigeria’s long history of mismanaged public assets.
Industry experts warn that until the refineries are commercially run and shielded from political interference, they will remain money pits rather than revenue generators. As oil marketers continue to import fuel at high cost, the average Nigerian is left wondering when the promised benefits of refinery rehabilitation will finally reach the pump.
