Oil Minister disowns Petroleum Ministry’s statement on NNPC Ltd’s refinery operations
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, has refuted a statement attributed to him by a Director of Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Engr. Kamoru Busari.
Engr. Busari who represented the Minister at the 2024 annual conference of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) held in Lagos last week, told conference attendees that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, had directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to stop running the state owned refineries (Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries) and focus solely on its equity shares in Dangote Refinery.
However, in a swift reaction to Busari’s presentation at the conference, Dr Lokpobiri disowned the statement attributed to him. He described it as false and dissociated himself, his office and the Federal Government from the statement.
The Minister said: “My attention has been drawn to statements made by Engr. Kamoru Busari, Director of Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who represented me at a recent conference in Lagos. I wish to categorically state that the claim that I directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to stop running its own refineries and focus solely on equity participation in other refineries is false. This does not represent my position as Minister overseeing the oil sector, nor does it reflect the stance of the Federal Government.
“It is important to clarify that NNPCL is a company governed under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a functional board and management. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not control or run NNPCL, as it operates independently like any corporate entity.
“The oil and gas sector is fully deregulated, and the Nigerian government remains committed to promoting in-country refining. We encourage companies, including NNPCL, to operate independently, following global best practices. While we provide strategic guidance, we do not interfere directly in the operations of these companies.
“I reaffirm our commitment to supporting the growth and independence of NNPCL, ensuring that its operations are in line with international standards for efficiency and transparency and profitability.
