Tinubu Renews Pledge to Revive Port Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna Refineries

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to reviving Nigeria’s dormant state-owned refineries, saying billions of naira invested in the facilities must not be allowed to go to waste.

Tinubu made the commitment through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources at the 20th OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week in Lagos. He said the government was pursuing technical assessments, stronger partnerships and operational reforms to restore the facilities.

The refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna have remained largely inactive despite years of rehabilitation spending, keeping questions over their performance and the value of public investment in the facilities at the centre of Nigeria’s petroleum sector debate.

The President said restoring domestic refining capacity was intended to enable Nigeria to process more of its crude oil locally, reduce reliance on imported petroleum products and create opportunities for the country to supply refined products to other African markets.

However, Tinubu did not announce a specific date for the refineries to resume operations. The government’s stated approach focuses not only on restarting the facilities but also on ensuring they can operate sustainably and generate commercial returns.

The proposed revival comes amid longstanding concerns about Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products despite being a major crude oil producer. A successful turnaround of the state-owned plants would depend on resolving operational challenges and establishing arrangements that support reliable production.

Tinubu said the government remained committed to ensuring that previous investments in the refineries deliver value. The administration’s next challenge will be translating its plans for technical assessments, partnerships and operational reforms into measurable progress, including a clearer timeline for bringing the facilities back into service.