Nigeria’s three state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna have remained idle despite billions of dollars spent on rehabilitation, leaving workers with little or nothing to do.
A Sunday PUNCH investigation revealed that over $3bn allocated to revive the plants failed to produce results. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is now probing the alleged mismanagement of the funds.
At the Port Harcourt Refining Company, which has a combined capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, operations stopped in 2019. Although $1.5bn was approved for repairs, workers said the refinery has not produced fuel as promised.
One marketer at the depot, Toku, said, “Since the last time Mele Kyari came, the depot loaded only a few trucks. After that, till today, the refinery has not been working… The refinery is not producing anything. It is not working. So, let the government stop deceiving us.”
The Warri refinery, once capable of refining 125,000 barrels daily, briefly resumed in December 2024 after $897m was allocated. However, it has since gone quiet.
A source familiar with the situation said, “The WRPC staff come to work as a routine and go home at will. People are just collecting salaries, the refinery is not working.”
The Kaduna refinery tells a similar story. Locals say all government promises of resumption have failed.
A resident, Paulina, said, “This place used to be alive. You would see flames from the furnace, hear the noise of work going on. Now, nothing. They keep saying ‘maintenance’ but we have heard the same story for years with no end in sight.”
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A former engineer warned that years of inactivity were causing corrosion and reducing manpower.
“From over 1,200 workers before, fewer than 100 are left,” he said.
The collapse of the refineries has also hurt communities that once depended on them for business.
“Back then, workers would come to our shops every day,” said Musa, a kiosk owner near the Kaduna refinery. “Now, people hardly pass here. Even security men have been reduced.”
Reacting, NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh insisted the company was working on lasting solutions.
“The NNPC is determined to provide a sustainable solution to its three refineries in order to restore them into full operations. Detailed technical and commercial reviews… are ongoing,” he said.