Korede Abdullah in Lagos
President Bola Tinubu has expressed his “profound joy” at the reopening of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), describing it as “another remarkable achievement in 2024” that strengthens Nigerians’ hope in his administration.
This was contained in a press statement released on Monday and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The Warri Refinery resumed operations weeks after NNPC Limited restarted the 60,000 Barrels per day at the Port Harcourt Refinery in November.
The President noted that with the 125,000 (bpd) Warri Refinery now operating at 60% capacity, his administration’s comprehensive plan to ensure energy efficiency and security is “entirely on course.”
Tinubu praised the Mele Kyari-led management of the NNPCL, saying, “I congratulate Mele Kyari and his team at NNPCL for working hard to restore our national pride and make Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining in Africa.”
He also urged the NNPCL to accelerate repair work on the Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 (bpd) second refinery in Port Harcourt.
The reopening of the Warri Refinery is a significant milestone in President Tinubu’s administration, demonstrating his commitment to increasing local refining capacity and making Nigeria a major player in the global energy market.
As President Tinubu said, “The restart of Warri Refinery today brings joy and gladness to me and Nigerians. This will further strengthen the hope and confidence of Nigerians for a greater and better future that we promised.”
President Tinubu urged the NNPCL to speed up repairs on the Kaduna Refinery and the Port Harcourt refinery to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global energy market.
‘WRPC will focus on producing and storing critical products, including Straight Run Kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and heavy and light Naphtha.”, the statement concluded.
