The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of incompetence following the sudden shutdown of the Port Harcourt Refinery, despite a $1.5 billion rehabilitation project.
The National President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, made the allegation in a telephone interview with DAILY POST on Saturday, shortly after NNPCL confirmed the closure.
NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye had earlier announced that the refinery would be shut down for “scheduled maintenance and sustainability assessment,” set to begin on May 24, 2025. However, he did not specify when operations would resume.
Reacting to the development, Gillis-Harry criticized the state-owned oil company, saying the shutdown highlights the level of “insincerity” and lack of transparency surrounding the project.
The Port Harcourt Refinery had been undergoing a multi-billion-dollar rehabilitation aimed at restoring its functionality, a project repeatedly cited as a key part of Nigeria’s effort to reduce fuel import dependence.
