The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of fostering monopoly in the nation’s oil and gas industry by failing to operationalize state-owned refineries.
In an interview with with newsmen, IPMAN spokesperson, Chinedu Ukadike, expressed deep concern over the continued dormancy of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, despite multi-billion dollar rehabilitation efforts.
Ukadike argued that the absence of production from NNPCL-controlled refineries has left Dangote Refinery as the dominant player in the downstream sector, a situation he warned could lead to non-competitive pricing of petroleum products.
“NNPCL refineries are not working. We want the president to declare an emergency in these refineries. It is NNPCL that is encouraging monopoly, not Dangote Refinery. If NNPCL refineries are producing petroleum products, it will checkmate Dangote Refinery and ensure competitive pricing for Nigerians,” Ukadike said.
His comments follow NNPCL’s recent announcement of the shutdown of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) for maintenance, with no clear timeline for resumption. The move has reignited public debate around the viability of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, especially after the government invested over $1.5 billion in rehabilitating the Port Harcourt and Warri facilities in late 2024.
Ukadike emphasized that the strategic importance of the state-run refineries cannot be overstated, urging swift presidential intervention to prevent a full-scale market monopoly and ensure fair access to petroleum products for all Nigerians.
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