Months after the much-celebrated resumption of operations at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), the facility has been shut down since January 25, 2025, due to safety concerns involving its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) Main Heater. This shutdown occurred barely a month after former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, publicly declared the plant operational, following refurbishment works that cost approximately $897.6 million.
The development, disclosed in an April 2025 document obtained from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), highlights ongoing challenges plaguing Nigeria’s refinery sector despite repeated efforts to revive local crude refining.
Meanwhile, the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), which resumed operations in November 2024, is reportedly operating at under 40 percent of its installed capacity, producing significantly below expectations. Despite a nameplate capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, the PHRC only managed an average utilization rate of 37.87 percent between November 2024 and April 2025. This falls short of NNPCL’s earlier claims that the refinery was running at 70 percent capacity with plans to scale up to 90 percent.
Production data obtained from the NMDPRA shows erratic and declining output across key petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and Household Kerosene (HKK). While initial months saw some momentum—December recording a peak of 108 million litres of refined products—utilisation has since dropped sharply. In March, production fell to 100.03 million litres, representing only 35 percent of expected monthly output, and further declined to 44.24 million litres in the first half of April.
A deeper analysis shows that PMS truck-out volumes plummeted from 538,600 litres per day in December to zero in both March and April. In contrast, diesel (AGO) output rose, reaching 968,460 litres daily in the first half of April, suggesting a skewed production focus away from gasoline blending components.
The Warri refinery, with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, had only just been brought back online on December 30, 2024, after decades of dormancy. Located across Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji in Delta State, the plant was expected to significantly contribute to domestic refining capacity, with President Bola Tinubu praising its 60 percent initial operation rate as a key milestone for energy security and economic growth.
However, since its shutdown in January, the refinery has only managed modest output—1.96 million litres of AGO and 2.84 million litres of HKK in December, followed by 10 million litres of AGO and 12 million litres of HKK in January—before going silent.
Responding to media inquiries, NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye declined direct comments. In an earlier statement from February, however, he attributed the halt in operations to scheduled maintenance and intervention works on field instruments. He insisted that the temporary shutdown was routine and necessary for long-term stability.
But industry observers are unconvinced.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) described the situation as deeply troubling. Its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, labelled the shutdown a "total waste," urging the President to declare a state of emergency in the refining sector and review the staffing structure of the affected facilities.
Ukadike criticized the lack of competition in the market, noting that the current state leaves Dangote Refinery as the sole major supplier of petroleum products. “You can’t open a refinery and then load only four trucks on its first day. The next day, six. It’s disheartening,” he lamented.
Energy analyst Bala Zaka also weighed in, questioning the effectiveness of the entire effort. He emphasized that the proof of refinery functionality should be evident in reduced fuel prices—something Nigerians have yet to experience. Zaka maintained that despite technical claims, the public sees no tangible benefit from the projects.
Yet, he stopped short of endorsing privatisation. Instead, he called for a government-led overhaul to bring the refineries to sustainable, effective operation, citing examples of other OPEC member nations that successfully run state-owned refineries.
In a more damning assessment, former presidential adviser and oil sector expert, Mr Dan Kunle, described the rehabilitation efforts at Port Harcourt and Warri as "a national scandal." Speaking on an online forum, Kunle argued that Mele Kyari’s tenure as GCEO of NNPC failed to deliver a single completed project, branding much of the recent refinery revival narrative as "propaganda."
Kunle welcomed the recent appointment of Bayo Ojulari as the new NNPC boss, asserting it was long overdue. He blamed the previous leadership for years of incompetence and financial mismanagement, stating, “They created wealth for themselves, not value for the country.”
The latest data from the NMDPRA seems to support these concerns. It paints a picture of inconsistent performance, inflated claims, and massive underutilisation—despite billions spent on refinery repairs and upgrades.
As energy stakeholders call for urgent reforms and credible oversight, public confidence in NNPCL's ability to manage Nigeria’s strategic assets continues to wane. For a country eager to cut dependence on imported fuel and boost local refining, the gap between projection and performance remains a critical national dilemma.