President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for reopening the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), describing the milestone as a significant step in boosting Nigeria’s local refining capacity and energy security.
The Warri Refinery, operating at 60% of its 125,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) capacity, resumed production after years of inactivity, following the earlier reactivation of a 60,000 bpd unit at the Port Harcourt Refinery in November.
Expressing his satisfaction, Tinubu said, “The restart of the Warri Refinery brings immense joy to me and Nigerians. It strengthens our collective hope for a greater future and reaffirms my administration’s commitment to ensuring energy security and economic growth.”
In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) on December 30, 2024, Tinubu praised NNPCL’s leadership under Mele Kyari for their efforts in revitalizing the nation’s refineries, describing the development as a “remarkable way to end 2024.”
Tinubu reiterated his administration’s directive to restore all four state-owned refineries and urged the company to accelerate ongoing rehabilitation projects at the Kaduna Refinery and the second Port Harcourt Refinery.
The reopened Warri Refinery will focus on producing vital products such as Straight Run Kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and naphtha, aiming to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.
President Tinubu emphasized the broader vision of making Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining and downstream industrial activities in Africa, aligning with his administration’s energy sector reforms.
This achievement builds on the efforts initiated under the previous administration, which awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of the refineries.
The reactivation of the Warri Refinery underscores Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging its oil resources for sustainable economic development and restoring its global standing as a major energy provider.