NNPCL Refineries Go Hand Over to Private Operators
Di image resemble refinery equipment, wey dey illustrate di new maintenance and privatization plan for NNPCL refineries.
NNPCL don decide to hand over di operations and maintenance of dia Warri and Kaduna refineries to private operators. As e be now, na di first time dis kind tin go happen since dem build di refineries back in di 1970s and 80s. But make I tell you, President Bola Tinubu’s aide, Dada Olusegun, don quickly jump enter di matter, talk say NNPCL move no be like wetin Atiku bin dey plan during him campaign time.
Di tori wey don dey ground na say former Vice President Atiku Abubakar react to di new move wey NNPCL wan do for Warri and Kaduna refineries. NNPCL don yan say dem go give private operators di work to run and maintain di two refineries. For those wey no sabi, di Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company wey dem build in 1978 fit process up to 125,000 barrels of oil per day, and na beta things like polypropylene and carbon black dem dey produce. Di Kaduna Refinery wey start work for 1980, fit handle about 110,000 barrels per day too.
Now, as NNPCL carry dis new plan come, Atiku just carry him wahala go social media, smile anyhow like person wey win lottery, post one smiley emoji for X. Di reason why e smile like dis na because di same Atiku bin talk say make him go privatize di refineries during him election campaign, but plenty people no gree with am dat time. But now Tinubu government dey do almost di same tin. Dis move wey NNPCL don make show say government dey shift di way dem dey handle refinery business, dey do wetin go fit make di refineries dey work beta.
But Tinubu pikin no gree make Atiku carry all di shine. Dada Olusegun, wey be Tinubu special aide, don yan say di NNPCL move different from wetin Atiku plan. In fact, e talk say na better plan wey go fit handle maintenance and operations without di whole privatisation drama wey Atiku dey preach.
As all dis dey happen, Dangote Refinery sef no wan carry last. Dem don start to run small small test on top their petrol production as dem dey prepare to begin full petrol production. Dem promise say by September 2024, their petrol go begin show face for Nigeria market. If you sabi Dangote, you go know say e no dey carry last, and na one of Africa biggest businessmen. Dangote refinery wey fit handle 650,000 barrels per day don already dey produce diesel and other distillate fuels, and e remain small before dem go start full petrol production.
Meanwhile, NNPCL no just wan stop for ordinary handing over to private people, dem sef don start new maintenance and technology plans wey go boost production and efficiency for Warri and Kaduna refineries. Di company yan say dem don plan new ways to make sure say di refineries go dey run without wahala. Olufemi Soneye, wey be di Chief Corporate Communications Officer for NNPCL, talk say di company go dey do both short-term and long-term maintenance contracts to keep di refineries running smoothly.
Di new plan go cover things like production planning, maintenance, quality control, health and safety, environmental management, and even di use of technology like Computerised Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) and Warehousing Management System (WMS). Di idea be say make dem fit dey produce steady steady, so Nigeria no go dey depend on imported fuel every time. Dis move na big step to boost Nigeria own fuel production capacity and reduce how we dey spend foreign exchange to buy fuel from outside.
To make sure say no story enter, NNPCL talk say dem go use three-stage tender process to choose di best people wey go manage di refineries. Dem no wan joke with dis tin, so dem go first collect Expression of Interest, then dem go do technical and commercial review before dem choose who go handle di job. Di koko be say dem wan make sure say dem get di best team wey go manage di refinery well and no go waste money anyhow.
Dis NNPCL move go touch all area of di refinery including di production of Mixed LPG, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Household Kerosene (HHK), Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO). Di hope be say, with all dis steps wey NNPCL dey take, Nigeria go begin see more refined products wey come from our own soil. Dis fit mean more job opportunities, better fuel prices, and small small, we go dey look outside less to buy fuel.
As Nigeria dey try boost dia refinery operations, many eyes go dey on top NNPCL and how dem go take manage dis new plans. If e work well, e fit bring more energy security, more jobs, and even reduce how we dey waste our dollars to buy fuel from outside. E sure for NNPCL say with all dis new plans, na beta tin go come out for Nigeria refinery business.
