• Staff dispute NNPCL’s claims, accuse management of cover-up
October 29, 2025

Nigeria has reportedly lost about ₦366.2 billion (approximately $249.7 million) due to the shutdown of the Port Harcourt Refinery for 156 days, between May 24 and October 31, 2025, following what officials described as “planned maintenance and sustainability assessment.”

The refinery, located in Eleme, Rivers State, was rehabilitated at a cost of $1.5 billion in 2021 and formally reopened in November 2024 by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) after years of inactivity.

Before the shutdown, NNPCL had announced that the facility was producing 1.4 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily, alongside kerosene, diesel, Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO), and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

However, findings by Daily Trust suggest that the refinery’s closure has resulted in massive losses, as the plant could have generated products worth over ₦366 billion during the five-month period.

NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, while addressing the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), acknowledged operational challenges and revenue losses.

“When I resumed, one of the first priorities was to review the refineries to see if we could quickly fix them. What I found was that we were losing between ₦300 million and ₦500 million monthly across the refineries. For Port Harcourt, we sent in about 950,000 barrels as cargo, but less than 40 percent was coming out,” Ojulari said.

Workers Dispute Claims

Some refinery staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, dismissed NNPCL’s assertions, alleging that the Port Harcourt Refinery was never operational even after its supposed reopening.

“They were bringing in refined products through Indorama Petrochemical, washing the fuel there, and then loading it through the NNPC refinery in Port Harcourt. They were not refining here,” one worker claimed.

Another staff member alleged that the refinery’s management barred employees from speaking to the media after reports of alleged product importation began to circulate.

“At the time of the shutdown, neither the new nor the old plant was working,” he added.

Stakeholders Express Frustration

The National President of the National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO), Mr. Harold Benstowe, blamed the refinery’s continued failure on monopolistic practices in Nigeria’s oil sector.

“We have competent firms that can manage the refinery effectively, but monopoly in the fuel production sector is a major factor hindering progress,” he said.

Similarly, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) condemned the refinery’s prolonged closure. Its Eastern Zonal Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Inimgba, urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene if the NNPCL management fails to demonstrate tangible progress.

“If the GCEO cannot fix the Port Harcourt Refinery or show real commitment to its rehabilitation, stakeholders and host communities may have no choice but to call on President Tinubu to consider replacing him,” he warned.

Inimgba noted that the shutdown has caused massive job losses among tanker drivers, NUPENG, PETROAN, and IPMAN members, as well as residents of host communities, deepening unemployment and economic hardship in the Niger Delta.