The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has officially resumed operations at the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC), marking another key milestone in the country’s drive for energy self-sufficiency.
This announcement comes just a month after the restart of the Port Harcourt Refinery, which began its operations in November 2024.
The development was confirmed by Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, during a facility tour on Monday. Kyari, who was accompanied by Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), stated that while the refinery’s repairs were ongoing, the plant had already begun refining operations.
The plant has a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, with production expected to help meet the growing domestic demand for refined petroleum products.
In a video shared by Channels TV, Kyari expressed confidence in the country’s ability to overcome long-standing challenges in the oil and gas sector.
“This plant is running. Although it is not 100% complete, we are still in the process, many people think these things are not real, they think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”
The Warri refinery, located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji in Delta State, has been a crucial component of Nigeria’s refining infrastructure since its commissioning in 1978. The refinery produces 13,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black, and serves markets across southern and southwestern Nigeria.
The plant has faced multiple shutdowns and underperformance in recent years, which NNPCL is now addressing through targeted repairs and upgrades.
The mechanical completion of the refinery had been initially slated for the first quarter of 2024. However, Kyari’s confirmation of the resumed operations signals a faster-than-expected return to productivity.
This effort is part of a broader strategy by NNPCL to revitalize Nigeria’s aging refineries and reduce the nation’s reliance on imported refined petroleum products, which have long strained the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
The WRPC is one of four refineries owned by NNPCL, alongside the older and newly upgraded Port Harcourt Refining Company, as well as the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
These facilities, once fully operational, are expected to significantly enhance Nigeria’s refining capacity, helping to alleviate the recurring fuel shortages that have plagued the nation for decades.
In a related development, NNPCL has introduced advanced monitoring technologies to track the country’s oil output, a move aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring transparency in the sector.
This announcement follows a similar step by the Port Harcourt refinery, which resumed petrol loading after a report by newsmen revealed progress on its upgrades.