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Abuja, FCT – By Prime Brief Media

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with two Chinese engineering and energy firms for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, a move that officials say could finally end Nigeria’s decades-long reliance on imported refined petroleum products.

The signing ceremony took place at the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Monday, with the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, describing the agreement as “a defining moment in our quest for energy self-sufficiency.” The Chinese partners, China National Chemical Engineering International Corporation (CNCEC) and Sino-Hydro Corporation, were selected through a competitive bidding process, according to NNPC.

Under the terms of the MoU, the Chinese firms will carry out a full technical audit, refurbish critical units, and manage the plants under an operations and maintenance framework for an initial period of five years after rehabilitation. Kyari said the target is to bring both refineries to a combined operating capacity of at least 210,000 barrels per day within 24 months.

“We have learned the lessons of past attempts. This partnership is structured to ensure technical transfer, accountability, and measurable performance benchmarks. Nigeria will no longer be an exporter of crude and an importer of almost all its gasoline needs,” Kyari said.

Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, has spent billions of dollars annually on petrol imports due to the near-total collapse of its four state-owned refineries. Successive administrations have announced refinery rehabilitation programmes with little success. The Port Harcourt refinery has undergone multiple turnaround maintenance attempts, while the Warri and Kaduna plants have been inactive for years.

The Country Director of CNCEC in Nigeria, Liu Qiang, said the consortium was committed to delivering “world-class, accelerated rehabilitation” and that the companies would bring extensive experience from similar projects across Asia and the Middle East.

Industry analysts have cautiously welcomed the deal but point to the difficult operating environment, including pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, as potential obstacles. NNPC says it has ring-fenced the crude supply for the refineries under a secure corridor model.

Prime Brief Media will follow industry reactions and corporate disclosures as this story progresses.

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