NNPC Engaging Competent Partners to Revive its Refineries - Ojulari

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Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has stated that the Company is currently in talks with competent technical partners to revive the state-owned refineries.

Ojulari said the focus of the NNPC management is on building sustainable and profitable refineries.

He stated this during a fireside chat themed “Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future at NIES 2026”, at the ongoing Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 in Abuja, on Wednesday, February 4.

The GCEO observed that while the focus on refineries had historically been largely on financing and EPC delivery, the approach has now moved towards getting the operating model right for sustainability.

“Getting refineries up and running requires three critical elements: financing, a competent EPC contractor, and world-class operational capacity. That is exactly our focus at the moment,” he stated.

Ojulari said the refineries were shut down because they were not commercially viable in their current condition.

The NNPC operates four refineries – two in Port Harcourt (210,000 bpd), one in Warri (125,000 bpd) and one in Kaduna (110,000 bpd). All four refineries have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 bpd.

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It would be recalled that the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries resumed operations in late 2024, after the Federal Government spent millions of dollars in turnaround maintenance, but were shutdown few months after due to operational constraints.

Ojulari said a lot of money was being spent on the operations of the refineries but they recorded losses.

Last October, the NNPC launched a comprehensive technical and commercial evaluation of the three refineries to ensure their optimal performance and sustainability.

Ojulari said they are pushing to put a sustainable structure in place that would ensure that the refineries are financially self-sustaining.

The NNPC boss added that the national oil company is now better positioned for commerciality and sustained profitability, driven by the ongoing transformation agenda aimed at securing Nigeria’s energy future.

War against crude oil theft

He stated that the recent success in reducing crude oil theft and improving pipeline availability was due to stronger collaboration with upstream operators. He noted that renewed engagement and trust have significantly increased investor confidence, commercial outcomes, and productivity.

“When the current leadership of NNPC Ltd was appointed, we initiated a fundamentally different engagement model with our partners, which focused on improving systems and processes for win-win outcomes in production acceleration and contracting,” Ojulari said.

“There was also the decisive intervention by the Federal Government to mitigate security challenges in the Niger Delta through a structured surveillance framework, including the deployment of AI-enabled solutions and security personnel. This has helped stabilise operations, ensure production consistency, and deepen collaboration with host communities through targeted Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that address fundamental social issues,” the GCEO noted.

Gas Master Plan 2026

Ojulari described the recently unveiled NNPC Gas Master Plan 2026 as a customer-driven strategy intended to promote market growth and shared prosperity, emphasising that the company is firmly focused on generating in-country value through gas utilization activities.

He said the Plan is in line with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas Initiative, which views gas as a key component of industrialization, economic expansion, and the energy transition.

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Victor EZEJA

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Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.