The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has said the immediate past leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under Mele Kyari will be remembered for the organisation’s transition which placed the Company on the competitive global oil market.
Ugochinyere also stated that under Kyari’s watch, the then NNPC’s inputs culminated into the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), successful removal of the fuel subsidy and domestic refining of petroleum products.
The member representing, Ideato North/South Federal Constituency, Imo State, said these in a statement issued against the backdrop of the recent shake up in the NNCPL which saw the exit of Kyari and coming on board of Bashir Ojulari as the new GCEO of the national oil company.
He said as obtained in any position both elected and appointed, there must come a time when the occupant must leave, stressing that for Kyari, he exited when the ovation was still high, having left indelible footprints in the sand of history in the oil and gas sector.
Ugochinyere stressed that under Mele Kyari leadership, the national oil company had witnessed a transition with refineries being reactivated and crude oil production surging.
“I commend Kyari’s efforts as under his watch, the Port Harcourt Refinery with two refining units capable of handling 210,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd) was resuscitated.
“Similar feat was being replicated in the Warri Refinery with a distillation capacity of 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) which includes a petrochemical plant that produces 13,000 metric tons per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.
“Recall that on December 30, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd and President Bola Tinubu announced that the Warri Refinery had resumed operations after being inactive for several years. The refinery is now running though not at its full capacity, marking a key step toward improving fuel production and supply in the country.
“Also worthy of commendation is the Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day which was inaugurated in May 2023.
“Since September 2024 when the refinery started producing petrol, it initially supplied 25 million liters per day, with plans to gradually increase production to 35 million liters daily and is playing a major role in meeting Nigeria’s fuel needs and reducing the country’s reliance on imports as well as pump price.
“All these became possible through the tireless efforts of Mele Kyari when he held sway as the Group Managing Director of NNPC and subsequently, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, birthed by the PIA.”
