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The refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri are rotting away despite the over $3bn contract sum to resuscitate them, Sunday PUNCH findings have revealed.
Visits to the refineries by our correspondents in Rivers, Kaduna and Delta states confirmed that the humongous amount, which is now subject of investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, failed to yield the desired result.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that refinery workers resume and close at any time because they have nothing to do.
A pattern of waste
These findings come against a backdrop of the country’s long-standing struggle with state-owned refineries, which have collectively cost billions in lost revenue due to reliance on imported petroleum products.
Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria imports nearly all refined fuel needs, which has fueled corruption allegations and economic woes for decades.
Public records and official statements show that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has overseen multiple rehabilitation efforts since the early 2000s, with promises of operational revival repeatedly unmet.
The investment of about $3bn across the major facilities was meant to end the cycle.
However, findings by Sunday PUNCH paint a picture of systemic failure, missed deadlines, and mismanagement.
The involvement of the EFCC stems from allegations of fund mismanagement.
In May 2025, the anti-graft agency grilled the recently sacked managing directors and top officials of the NNPCL over the alleged mishandling of the $3bn.
Port Harcourt: Promises unkept amid shutdowns
The Port Harcourt Refining Company, located in Alesa, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, consists of two units: the older 60,000 bpd plant built in 1965 and a newer 150,000 bpd facility from 1989, combining for 210,000 bpd capacity.
The refinery was once a hub for producing petrol, diesel, kerosene, and petrochemicals, but it shut down in 2019 due to obsolescence and vandalism.
The $1.5bn rehabilitation, divided into three phases and slated for completion by 2025 was aimed to restore full capacity
In November 2024, then-NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, announced resumption at 70 per cent, projecting 1.5 million litres of diesel and 2.1 million litres of low-pour fuel oil daily, plus 1.4 million litres of petrol and 900,000 litres of kerosene.
However, Sunday PUNCH findings showed that there were only brief operations before issues arose.
By May 24, 2025, a former NNPCL spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, announced a 30-day shutdown for routine maintenance.
Stakeholders, including the Host Community Bulk Petroleum Retailers Association, expressed shock in June 2025, urging adherence to timelines to avoid deceiving Nigerians.
Twice, Sunday PUNCH visited the plant and reported that there were no activities going on, even as some workers were reported to be sleeping.
The reports were dismissed by the NNPCL.
On June 5, stakeholders under the aegis of the Host Community Bulk Petroleum Retailers Association of Port Harcourt Refinery Depot expressed shock over the prolonged shutdown.
They urged the Federal Government to adhere to the 30-day timeline it earlier promised, warning that failure to do so would amount to taking Nigerians for granted.
In July 2025, NNPCL said it was reviewing the rehabilitation plans.
In August 2025, the NNPCL backtracked on full rehab, admitting errors in the $1.5bn work and confirming incomplete status.
Sunday PUNCH visited the refinery again recently and discovered that the facility had remained dormant, with no production taking place.
Workers were seen moving in and out, engaged in administrative duties.
At the PHRC depot, located beside the refinery’s main complex, activities ground to a halt.
The once-busy truck park was empty, with no lifting of petrol or kerosene taking place. Only Automated Gas Oil (diesel) was being trucked out from old stock.
Some marketers milling around the depot described the situation as regrettable, saying the Federal Government misled Nigerians with the 2024 inauguration of the 60,000-barrel-per-day plant.
One of them, who asked to be identified only as Toku, said, “Since the last time Mele Kyari came, the depot loaded only a few trucks. After that, till today, the refinery has not been working. About three months ago, from the old stock, they were loading only DPK and AGO, but now it’s just AGO. The refinery is not producing anything. It is not working. So, let the government stop deceiving us.”
Another marketer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he does not want to be victimised, claimed that the management planned to test-run the plant the previous week
