President Bola Tinubu has expressed joy at the resumption of operations at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Delta State.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) on Monday confirmed the resumption of operations at the 125,000 barrels per day refinery.

This came a few weeks after oil production and lifting resumed at the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration awarded the contract for the complete rehabilitation and overhaul of the four state-owned refineries in 2022.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president described the reopening of the Warri refinery as another remarkable achievement in 2024 that has strengthened Nigerians’ hope in his administration.

READ ALSO: NNPC confirms resumption of operations at Warri Refinery

He noted that with Warri Refinery now operating at 60 percent capacity, the plan to ensure energy efficiency and security in the country is fully on course

President Tinubu expressed his administration’s commitment to ramping up local refining capacity and making Nigeria a hub for downstream industrial activities in Africa.

He urged the NNPCL to accelerate repair work on Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 (bpd) second refinery in Port Harcourt to consolidate Nigeria’s position as a global energy provider.

The president said: “The restart of Warri Refinery today brings joy and gladness to me and Nigerians. This will further strengthen the hope and confidence of Nigerians for a greater and better future than we promised.

“This development is a remarkable way to end the year following the feat recorded earlier with the old Port Harcourt Refinery. I am equally happy that NNPC Limited is implementing my directive to restore all four refineries to good working condition.

“I congratulate Mele Kyari and his team at NNPCL for working hard to restore our national pride and make Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining in Africa.”

By: Babajide Okeowo

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