The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his renewed commitment to restoring Nigeria’s public refineries, while urging the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to back the promise with clear timelines and measurable targets.
The association said the President’s recent comments on refinery performance were important because they shifted attention from simply restarting the plants to ensuring they operate profitably and sustainably.
PETROAN National President, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said the President’s position that seeing smoke or flames from a refinery does not necessarily mean the facility is working effectively was a significant change in how the country should assess refinery rehabilitation.
According to him, performance should instead be judged by factors such as production levels, plant availability, operating margins and returns on investment.
PETROAN also welcomed the proposed technical equity partnership involving NNPCL and Chinese companies for the rehabilitation, operation and expansion of the Port Harcourt refinery.
However, the association stressed that the agreement should move beyond a Memorandum of Understanding and become a legally binding deal with clear completion dates, production targets and penalties for failure to meet agreed obligations.
Read Also: nwagor-reaffirms-commitment-to-standards-at-health-college
The group also called for greater transparency around the partnership, including details of investment commitments, equity ownership, crude supply arrangements and existing liabilities.
It further urged the Federal Government to guarantee reliable crude oil supplies, improve evacuation infrastructure and ensure that the rehabilitation programme delivers meaningful technology and skills transfer to Nigerian engineers.
PETROAN said the successful revival of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries would strengthen fuel supply, reduce exposure to foreign exchange and freight costs, and create greater competition in the downstream petroleum market.
The association noted that functional refineries would also support businesses and workers in the South-South and South-East regions, where refining activities have historically supported a wider industrial ecosystem.
PETROAN said it was ready to work with the Federal Government, NNPCL, regulators and the National Assembly to ensure that the President’s commitment translates into functioning refineries and measurable economic benefits.
The association also commended NUPENG President, Comrade (Dr.) Salimon Akanni Oladiti, for keeping refinery rehabilitation on the national agenda and supporting the call for an end to casualisation in the oil and gas sector.
PETROAN stressed that the success of the refinery programme would ultimately depend not on announcements, but on consistent execution and results.
