The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced plans to change its approach for operating the country's refineries, declaring that it will choose technical equity partners with proven worldwide track records to operate and maintain its facilities. The action is intended to ensure that refineries, particularly those undergoing renovation in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, run at peak efficiency while meeting worldwide safety and output standards.
Bashir Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, disclosed this in a post on X on Wednesday. With this development, the company may shift from directly operating its refining assets to serving as a strategic overseer and major equity stakeholder.
Ojulari stated that NNPC plans to finalize the necessary agreements to begin extensive repairs or upgrades on its refineries. He added that both technical and commercial evaluations are currently underway to determine the best approach—whether to upgrade or repurpose the three refineries—to ensure optimal efficiency and long-term sustainability.
According to him, the company’s energy security and asset optimization initiative is designed to strengthen NNPC’s capacity to meet its mandate under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as the supplier of last resort for petroleum products while guaranteeing efficient and profitable refinery operations.
He noted that reviving the facilities had become crucial, as Nigeria continues to rely heavily on fuel imports to meet its domestic petrol demand.
Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) revealed that between August 2024 and the first 10 days of October 2025, Nigeria imported approximately 15.01 billion liters of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol). This accounted for about 69 percent of the total 21.68 billion liters supplied during the period, while domestic refining contributed 6.67 billion liters, or 31 percent.
