Business

Port Harcourt Refinery’ll Crash Fuel Price, Create Jobs—IPMAN, PETRAON

Published

12 months ago

November 27, 2024

Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry have said the commencement of production at the Port Harcourt Refining Company will engender competition, crash the pump price of petroleum products and create jobs for Nigerians.

Recall that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari had on Tuesday inaugurated a 60,000 barrel per day capacity plant at the old Port Harcourt Refinery Deport.

During the event, Kyari said the other sections of the refinery will be completed in due course.

The stakeholders, including the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said this while speaking with newsmen at the sideline of resumption of production at the Port Harcourt Refinery and loading of trucks at the facility located in Eleme, Rivers State on Tuesday.

The IPMAN Chairman in Rivers State, Tekena Ikpaki, said the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt Refinery while confirming the loading of products into trucks while describing it as a remarkable achievement.

Ikpaki stated, “This will remain memorable in our lives and in our hearts because it has been long expected.

“Now it is no longer expected, it is real, it can be seen and felt. Trucks have been coming in and loading out and we have been witnessing the process.”

Asked what the operation of the Port Harcourt Refinery and the Dangote Refinery together mean for the downstream sector, he said it will engender competition and reduce the cost of petroleum products.

Tekena stated, “You know in God’s time He makes all things beautiful and this is just the best thing that will happen to Nigerians. I mean there is super competition now in the system which is in favour of the entire Nigerians.

“When Dangote and the NNPCL are at loggerheads and they are competing, who enjoys the dividends? Of course you and I. So I believe that since the refinery has come on stream, Dangote is there too, it will further push down the price of products.

“Over the weekend, Dangote had announced price reduction both on the marine and trucking, coming from perhaps the resumed operation of the Port Harcourt Refinery. So I think price reduction will be experienced and it will be in our favour and the favour of Nigerians.”

While expressing the optimism that more trucks are expected to come into the facility to load products in the coming days, saying the event of Tuesday was a test run.

“Yes because it is still a test run. You know the place (Refinery) has been moribund for some time. For now, it is still hypothetical but in no distant time everything will be in its proper place and the inflow of trucks will be seen again the way it used to be, ” the Rivers State IPMAN Chairman said.

On its part, the Petroleum Product Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria said the commencement of production after five years will create job opportunities, boost the nation’s economy and bring about competition in the downstream sector.

The National Public Relations Officer of PETROAN, Joseph Obelle said this also corroborated the opinion of IPMAN that it will lead to a reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit also known as Petrol.

Obellei further said the association will continue to work with the management of the NNPCL, retail management and other stakeholders to ensure that products lifted at the Port Harcourt Refinery depot are well distributed to all nooks and crannies of the nation.

He commended President Bola Tinubu and the management of the NNPCL for their commitment to reviving the refinery.

He added, “PETRAON expresses optimism for the commencement of production at the Port Harcourt Refinery.

“We are so sure that it will offer job opportunities, boost the economy of the country and trigger competition in the downstream sector which we reflect significantly to price reduction.

“We want to commend the leadership of the NNPC led by the Group CEO, Mele Kyari for demonstrating leadership with his team towards seeing the Port Harcourt Refinery becoming a reality.”

Obelle added, “Funding would have been an issue if not for the determination of Mr President. So we also commend President Bola Tinubu for releasing funds for the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation.”

He lauded the host communities for providing a peaceful atmosphere for the rehabilitation of the refinery and called on the company handling the reconstruction of the Eleme section of the East-West Road to ensure speedy completion of the road for smooth movement of trucks carrying petroleum products from the refinery to other parts of the country.

Related Topics:Port Harcourt Refinery Refinery

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Business

Tinubu Approves 15% Import Duty On Petrol, Diesel

Published

1 week ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved a 15 percent ad-valorem import duty on diesel and premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

This was announced in a letter dated October 21, 2025, where the private secretary to the president, Damilotun Aderemi, conveyed Tinubu’s approval to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Tinubu gave his approval, following a request by the FIRS to apply the 15 percent duty on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) to align import costs to domestic realities.

With the approval, the implementation of the import duty will increase a litre of petrol by an estimated N99.72 kobo.

The latest development has led to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announcing that it has begun a detailed review of the country’s three petroleum refineries, with a view to bringing them back online.

NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, made the announcement in a post on his official X handle on Wednesday night.

According to Ojulari, one of the options being explored by the NNPCL is to search for technical equity partners to ‘high-grade or repurpose’ the facilities.

Tagged: “Update on Our Refineries”, Ojulari said: “The NNPCL continues to remain optimistic that the refineries will operate efficiently, despite current setbacks.”

It can be recalled that despite spending about $3 billion on revamping the refineries, only the 60,000 barrels per day portion of the facility worked skeletally for just a few months before packing up.

The Warri refinery has remained ineffective weeks after it was gleefully announced to have returned to production, while the one situated in Kaduna State never took off at all.

Business

NNPCL Raises Fuel Price

Published

4 weeks ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of petrol from ₦865 to ₦992 per litre, marking a fresh hike that has sparked widespread concern among motorists and consumers .

As of the time of filing this report, the company has not released any official statement explaining the reason for the sudden adjustment.

During visits to several NNPC retail outlets, The Nation observed fuel attendants recalibrating their pumps to reflect the new price.

At NNPC filling station on Ogunusi road, Ojodu Berger, petrol attendants at the station said they were instructed to change the price to reflect the new rate N992 per litre.

However, checks at Ibafo along the Lagos /Ibadan expressway showed that NNPC outlets still displayed the old price of N875 per litre, although they were not selling to commuters.

Most of the NNPC stations were not dispensing fuel.

Business

CBN Directs Banks To Refund Failed ATM Transactions Within 48hrs

Published

4 weeks ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions to refund customers for failed Automated Teller Machine transactions within 48 hours, in a sweeping reform aimed at protecting consumers and restoring confidence in the banking system.

The directive is contained in a draft guideline released by the apex bank on Saturday, titled “Exposure of the Draft Guidelines on the Operations of Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria.”

The document, signed by Musa I. Jimoh, Director of Payments System Policy Department, was circulated to banks, payment service providers, card schemes, and independent ATM deployers, with a call for stakeholder feedback by October 31, 2025.

Under the draft, failed “on-us” transactions, where customers use their own bank’s ATM, must be reversed instantly. If technical glitches prevent immediate reversal, the bank is required to manually refund the customer within 24 hours.

For “not-on-us” transactions, involving other banks’ ATMs, refunds must be processed within 48 hours.

“Customers must not be made to suffer for failed transactions caused by system errors or network failures,” the circular stressed.

In a significant shift, the CBN mandated banks and ATM acquirers to deploy technology that automatically reverses failed or partial transactions, removing the need for customers to lodge complaints.

Institutions holding customer funds due to failed disbursements must reconcile and return balances immediately.

According to the apex bank, these measures respond to widespread frustration over delayed refunds and poor customer service and form part of a broader effort to enhance consumer protection, improve reliability, and modernise Nigeria’s payment infrastructure in line with global standards.

The guidelines will also overhaul ATM operations nationwide. Banks and card issuers are now required to deploy at least one ATM for every 5,000 active cards, with phased targets of 30% compliance in 2026, 60% in 2027, and full compliance by 2028. Any future deployment, relocation, or decommissioning of ATMs must receive prior approval from the CBN.

To ensure safety, ATMs must be fitted with anti-skimming devices, CCTV cameras, and placed in enclosed or well-lit areas.

Machines are expected to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, maintain audit logs, and display functional helpdesk contacts. At least 2% of all ATMs must feature tactile symbols for visually impaired customers.

ATMs are also required to dispense cash before returning cards, allow free PIN changes, issue receipts for all transactions except balance inquiries, display clear transaction fees, dispense only clean banknotes, and provide backup power to reduce downtime.

Downtime must not exceed 72 consecutive hours, after which operators must inform the public of the cause and expected restoration time.

The CBN will enforce compliance through regular audits, on-site inspections, and monthly reports from ATM operators detailing deployments and locations. Defaulting institutions risk sanctions, though fines were not specified.

The apex bank explained that the overhaul was necessary due to rising complaints about failed transactions, cyber fraud, and declining service quality, noting that “the goal is to build a payments system that works seamlessly for everyone, urban and rural users alike.”

Nigeria’s electronic payments landscape has grown rapidly in recent years, with 200 million cardholders and rising reliance on digital banking, but network failures, poor infrastructure, and delayed reversals have continued to undermine confidence.

The fresh guidelines, coming eight months after a revision of ATM fees, are expected to streamline service delivery, enhance transaction security, and hold banks accountable. Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback ahead of the final policy adoption, which could take effect before the end of the year.