The federal government has disclosed that the commencement of the Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries will curb the scarcity of aviation fuel being experienced in the country.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika while speaking to Journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, said the high cost and scarcity of aviation fuel popularly called Jet-A1, in Nigeria, could be linked to the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict.
According to him, “It is a global phenomenon driven by many factors. Some of them include even low capacity to refine the product.
“It’s also high demand around the world, it has increased activity and increased the number of aeroplanes out there and users of this jet A1. Plus also the Ukraine crisis and many more.”
Sirika added that the surging price of crude oil is another factor encouraging the high price of aviation fuel, noting that “Today, it is in the hundreds of dollars per barrel and not only the high cost of Jet A1 product in Nigeria. Also the peculiarity of the fact that we’re not refining the product, so to speak.
“I did address the press a couple of days ago, saying that, by the grace of God, perhaps once the Dangote refinery is online or if the government fixes the Port Harcourt refinery — which is now ongoing — we will begin to refine this product and sell it.”
It would be recalled that there have been complaints from the aviation sector about how the rising cost of aviation fuel has impacted business operations, including the price of tickets.
The Dangote refinery is expected to commence production in the third quarter of 2022, while the Port Harcourt refinery, Eleme which is under rehabilitation, will resume operations by the first quarter of 2023.
Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, had disclosed that the refinery is to deliver 60,000 barrels per day after full commencement of operations.
