The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) to publicly clarify the true state of the country’s refineries amid growing public scrutiny.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Lokpobiri addressed criticism that Nigerians had been given a misleading picture of refinery performance, following claims that the facilities had hit full capacity—claims later called into question by conflicting output figures.
“I will tell them to come. Let them come and explain,” the minister said, pledging to summon NNPC officials to account for the discrepancies.
Lokpobiri urged caution against premature judgment, insisting that verified facts should guide any conclusions about the refineries’ actual performance. “It is better for us to have the full facts about these refineries so that we don’t make any hasty conclusions,” he said.
Oil Output Climbs, But Aging Pipelines Hold Nigeria Back
Turning to production figures, the minister reported steady gains in Nigeria’s crude output, citing Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) data showing daily production averaging 1.84 million barrels, including condensates. The government’s target remains above 2 million barrels per day, though Lokpobiri acknowledged that dilapidated infrastructure continues to cap growth.
“The reason why we are not able to do more than this is because of the state of our infrastructure,” he explained, noting that many of the nation’s pipelines are over 50 years old and struggle to handle increased crude evacuation.
To address this, Lokpobiri said NNPC has launched a full-scale pipeline rehabilitation programme aimed at gradually restoring evacuation capacity.
He also pointed to renewed activity in the upstream sector, with operators reviving previously shut-in wells following major asset transfers—including Renaissance Africa Energy’s takeover of Shell’s former assets and Seplat Energy’s acquisition of ExxonMobil’s onshore operations. These developments, he said, are helping drive Nigeria’s gradual production recovery.
Comments