The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd in Rivers State has officially commenced crude oil processing, marking a significant milestone for Nigeria’s energy sector. This development, announced by Femi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), signals a new era of energy independence and economic growth for the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, Soneye congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPC Board, and the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, for their commitment to the transformative project.

Today marks a monumental achievement for Nigeria,” Soneye declared, emphasizing the importance of this milestone in reshaping Nigeria’s energy future. Additionally, truck loading will begin immediately, with NNPCL working towards bringing the Warri Refinery back online.

The PHRC refinery, which had faced numerous delays over the years, finally began production after several missed deadlines. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, had initially projected a September 2023 start, which was later postponed to December and further shifted to March 2024. NNPCL’s GCEO Mele Kyari reaffirmed the company’s focus on rehabilitating the nation’s refineries, with hopes that by 2024, Nigeria will become a net exporter of petroleum products.

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The federal government allocated $1.5 billion to repair the Port Harcourt refinery, one of Nigeria’s largest, which had been shut down since 2019. Despite being one of the world’s top oil producers, Nigeria had long relied on importing refined petroleum products due to a lack of local refining capacity.

The recent commencement of production at the Dangote refinery, which started producing diesel and aviation fuel in September 2024, alongside PHRC’s reopening, offers hope that the impact of the fuel subsidy removal and the rising cost of fuel will be mitigated for Nigerians.