News
NNPC exposed as Warri refinery shutdown drags on, P/Harcourt struggles
Industry operators and experts described this as disheartening, while further findings showed that the Port Harcourt Refining Company, which resumed operations in November 2024, has been operating below 40 per cent capacity.
The 125,000 barrels per day capacity Warri refinery, which had been moribund for decades due to technical issues, was brought back to life by the national oil company on December 30, 2024.
Situated in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji areas of Warri, the petrochemical plant has an annual production capacity of 13,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene and 18,000 metric tonnes of carbon black.
Commissioned in 1978, the WRPC is operated by the NNPC and was established to cater to the markets in Nigeria’s southern and southwestern regions.
President Bola Tinubu had commended the NNPCL for completing the refurbishment of the 125,000-bpd capacity Warri refinery, which reportedly kicked off operations at 60 per cent capacity.
It is focused on producing and storing critical products, including Straight Run Kerosene, Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and heavy and light Naphtha.
Briefing his team before the tour following the revitalisation, Kyari had said many Nigerians doubt such projects were real or possible in the country, but insisted the revitalisation was genuine and visible.
Kyari said, “We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100 per cent complete, we are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.
“I must congratulate our team for their determination and extreme belief that this company can restart this plant. This has brought the result we are seeing in collaboration with our contractors. We have proved that it is possible to restart a plant that you deliberately shut down. We have proved this.”
However, the document obtained exclusively from the NMDPRA, providing detailed production data for each refinery in the country, revealed that the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, with an installed capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, has remained shut since January 25, 2025.
The report linked the shutdown to critical faults in the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit Main Heater, which raised safety concerns and forced a complete halt in operations.
“The Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company was shut down on 25th Jan. 2025 due to safety concerns over the CDU Main Heater,” the document stated.
It further stated that the Port Harcourt refinery, with a nameplate capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, has been operating at just 37.87 per cent of its installed capacity six months after its long-awaited revitalisation.
The refinery’s monthly production data showed that it produced a monthly average of 82.55 million litres of refined petroleum products between November 2024 and April 2025, 135.45ML less than its estimated optimal production of 218 million litres per month.
The latest development also contradicts claims by the NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, that the Port Harcourt refinery recommissioned on November 26, 2024, was operating at 70 per cent of its installed capacity, with plans to increase output to 90 per cent in subsequent months.
The refinery’s output consists of Premium Motor Spirit blending components, including Straight-Run Gasoline and Straight-Run Naphtha, as well as Automotive Gas Oil (diesel). The plant, equipped with a Hydrocracker Unit, produced high-value fuels such as jet fuel, Household Kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, and naphtha.
At its recommissioning, the state-owned firm stated that the Port Harcourt refinery would produce daily outputs of 1.4 million litres of Straight-Run Gasoline blended into Premium Motor Spirit, 900,000 liters of Kerosene, 1.5 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 2.1 million litres of Low Pour Fuel Oil, and additional volumes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
The $1.5bn rehabilitation project, funded through a loan facility backed by international financial institutions, was projected to restore the state-owned facility to full operational status after years of dormancy and seven postponements.
Recall that several deadlines for the commencement of fuel production at the Port Harcourt refinery, with the latest failure occurring in September 2024, from its earlier target of December 2023.
During the unveiling, NNPC officials embarked on a tour around the facility where they took samples of petrol, diesel, and kerosene. It was stated that about 200 trucks of petrol would be released into the Nigerian market daily.
Similarly, President Tinubu, in celebrating the restart, stated that it would contribute to achieving energy sufficiency, enhancing energy security, and boosting Nigeria’s export capacity.
“In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda focused on shared economic prosperity for all, the President reaffirms his administration’s commitment to achieving energy sufficiency, enhancing energy security, and boosting export capacity for Nigeria,” a statement by the presidency noted.
Recently, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria commended the NNPCL for successfully running the revamped Port Harcourt Refinery for 180 days non-stop. The association, in a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer, Dr Joseph Obele, said the refinery had been dormant for over 20 years.
He said its members were loading diesel and Dual Purpose Kerosene from the refinery, while NNPC Ltd. retail marketers were loading PMS.
Obele said, “It was commissioned in October 2024 and has been running continuously for 180 days, up to March 2025; it is a remarkable feat that underscores the effectiveness of the rehabilitation project.”
But the new document highlighting the refinery’s true state said the facility didn’t exceed 42.23 per cent of its operational capacity within the six-month period. It disclosed that the facility produced more diesel than PMS blending components of Straight-Run Gasoline and Straight-Run Naphtha.
The total production figure was derived from the cumulative output of various refined petroleum products, including the blending components for PMS, AGO, and HKK products. According to oil and gas experts, one barrel of crude, when heated and refined, can produce 159 litres of refined products.
A detailed breakdown revealed that in November, the refinery produced 9.51 million litres, significantly below its operational capacity of 38.16 million litres. This represents a meagre 24.92 per cent utilisation, with a shortfall of 28.65 million litres.
In December, the refinery saw a remarkable increase in production, rising by 1,044 per cent to 108 million litres. However, this output still fell short of the expected monthly production of 286.20 million litres, utilising just 38.01 per cent of its capacity and leaving a substantial shortfall of 177.41 million litres.
In January, the refinery produced 120.91 million litres of refined products, representing just 42.2 per cent of its full 286.20 million-litre capacity, according to production data.
This was followed by a slight decline in February, where 111.81 million litres were produced, equating to 39.1 per cent of the refinery’s total capacity. In March, production further decreased to 100.03 million litres, which accounted for 35 per cent of the expected output for the month.
In the first 13 days of April, the refinery produced 44.24 million litres, amounting to 35.7 per cent of the projected capacity of 124.02 million litres for the month.
A detailed product-by-product analysis of the refinery’s output reveals significant fluctuations in production across various categories. In November, the refinery produced 4.38 million litres of PMS, which surged to 40.32 million litres in December, and continued increasing in January with 41.76 million litres.
However, production dropped to 39.34 million litres in February and 34.21 million litres in March, before falling further to 15.22 million litres in the first 13 days of April.
For AGO, commonly known as diesel, the refinery produced 3.49 million litres in November, with a sharp increase to 40.72 million litres in December. The output then peaked at 55.10 million litres in January, followed by slight decreases to 47.33 million litres in February, 45.38 million litres in March, and 18.96 million litres in the first half of April.
HKK production saw more modest but still notable variations, with 1.64 million litres in November, rising sharply to 27.75 million litres in December. This was followed by a dip to 24.05 million litres in February and 25.14 million litres in March, before declining further to 10.06 million litres in April. This data highlights the refinery’s erratic production pattern across key petroleum products, underlining ongoing challenges in meeting expected outputs and operational efficiency.
The daily average data showed that in November, the facility trucked out an average of 238,080 litres of PMS per day, which spiked to 538,600 litres per day in December. However, the output dropped in January, with a daily average of 275,630 litres of PMS and 347,380 litres of diesel. In February, the refinery produced 85,480 litres of PMS and 639,240 litres of diesel on average per day, marking another dip in PMS production.
Remarkably, the refinery recorded zero litres of PMS evacuation in both March and April, underscoring a significant shortfall. In contrast, diesel production increased sharply, with a daily average of 865,110 litres in March and 968,460 litres in the first half of April.
On its part, the Warri refinery, which has remained shut for four months, produced 1.96ml of AGO, 2.84ml of HKK in December and 10ml of AGO and 12ml of HKK in January 2025.
When contacted the NNPCL spokesperson declined to comment on the issue. Questions sent to his WhatsApp line were not answered. But Soneye, in a statement released in February, had admitted that the facility was undergoing a planned routine maintenance programme aimed at ensuring optimal operations.
According to him, operations at WRPC were halted to carry out repairs for efficient service delivery. He added that routine maintenance was progressing and operations would be back in the next few days.
The statement read, “NNPC Ltd wishes to clarify that there was no explosion at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company. Any reports suggesting otherwise are completely false.
“On January 25, 2025, operations at WRPC Area 1 were intentionally curtailed to carry out necessary intervention works on select equipment, including field instruments that were impacting sustainable and steady operations.
“These intervention works are essential to ensure the production of specification finished and intermediate products, particularly Automotive Gas Oil and Kerosene. The routine maintenance is progressing as planned, and 1 will be back in operation within the next few days.”
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the death of three persons following the derailment of the Warri-Itakpe train in Agbor, Delta State.
The corporation disclosed that four coaches left the rail track during the incident, which occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026.
In a statement, the Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, said emergency response teams and other relevant authorities were immediately mobilised to the scene to manage the situation and provide assistance to affected passengers.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed a serious train accident involving the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor at Agbor, Delta State,” the statement said.
According to Opeifa, rescue and emergency response operations were activated immediately after the accident, and all passengers on board have since been accounted for.
“Sadly, three fatalities have been confirmed at this time,” he stated.
He added that relevant authorities are continuing to assess the full circumstances surrounding the incident, while support is being provided to injured and affected passengers.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and loved ones during this difficult time,” Opeifa said.
The NRC urged members of the public to rely only on verified information and official updates from the corporation as investigations into the cause of the derailment continue.
A newly married Nigerian woman who was recently declared missing by her family in Abuja has reportedly left her matrimonial home after discovering that her husband allegedly had two children with different women.
The woman, from Mbabum Community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, had been the subject of a public appeal by her family, who sought assistance in locating her after she allegedly left her husband’s residence in Abuja.
According to a statement attributed to a family representative, Hon. Goshi Peter, the woman married Goshi Bem in March 2026 but left her matrimonial home about two weeks ago and had not returned.
However, in an update shared on Saturday, June 6, 2026, a Facebook user, Tyom Alexander, claimed she had spoken with the woman by phone.
According to Alexander, the woman said she left her husband’s home after discovering that he had two children from different women, information she alleged was not disclosed to her before their marriage.
“I have been able to speak with this woman through the phone number provided by the whistleblower,” Alexander wrote.
“She said her husband didn’t tell her that he had children before their marriage. She only discovered this after they relocated to Abuja.
“The first child is five years old, while the second child is two years old, both from different mothers.”
Alexander further claimed that the woman stated she was safe and still in Abuja, and reportedly warned her husband not to bother searching for her.
“According to her, the man should not bother looking for her as she is doing fine in Abuja,” Alexander added.
“If this is true, then the man has disappointed me. I wait to hear the man’s side of the story.”
As of the time of filing this report, the husband’s response to the allegations had not been made public.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The fate of Nigerian roads especially the highways appears to be under threat of this year’s rainy season following fears by professionals that the over 200,000 kilometers of roads may collapse by the end of the year .
Deepening this apprehension is the lack of maintenance of those roads which have yearly carried loafs above it’s capacity occasioned by heavy duty trucks and tankers .
Expressing these fears , Consultant Engineer to the Federal government Patience Aningo noted that if urgent steps are not taken this year’s rainy season would spell doom for motorists and other road users across the country.
“Without consistent enforcement of axle load limits, and steady maintenance of our federal highways there strong indications that the country is at the risk of loosing over 200,000 kilometers of roads ”
“Roads require precision from proper compaction to correct layer thickness”
“By then, what could have been addressed with minor engineering challenges would become a huge cost of maintenance”
“The frustrations lies a deeper issue and the persistent failure of roads that should last far longer is compromised by laxity on the part of the authorities concerned”
“The outcomes are sometimes undermined by weak supervision, inconsistent material quality, and cost”
She observed that poor drainage system has also been the bane of the Federal roads in the country.
“Nigeria has one of the largest road networks in Africa estimated at over 200,000 kilometers yet a
One major factor is inadequate drainage”
“Roads are not just paved surfaces; they are engineered drainage
systems, sealing cracks, and timely patching remains underutilized, despite its proven
underlying soil, and accelerates structural deterioration”
“In a country with intense seasonal rainfall, neglecting drainage is one
of the fastest ways to shorten a road’s lifespan.’
“Regulations must be enforced consistently to protect infrastructure investments”
“Similarly, the Abuja–Kaduna Highway remains a critical but vulnerable route, where
pavement distress and operational challenges continue to highlight the strain placed on key compromise
during construction directly reduces durability and increases long-term costs”
“Drainage must be treated as a core design element, not an afterthought which affects Axle load against
what they were originally designed for”
“Heavy-duty trucks often overloaded introduce stresses that affect the roads ”
“Many Nigerian roads now carry traffic volumes and axle loads far beyond routes in the country
and despite ongoing reconstruction efforts, sections have deteriorated quickly ”
“When water is not properly managed, it penetrates the pavement layers, weakens the
This pattern is evident on major corridors such as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, one of the busiest in the country “she stated.
Enugu Govt Dismisses Viral UNN Attack Alert, Moves to Track Perpetrator
The Enugu State Government has dismissed as false and misleading a viral social media post alleging an imminent terrorist attack on the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), assuring students, staff, and residents that there is no credible security threat to the institution.
The government described the post as the handiwork of criminal elements seeking to create panic, fear, and confusion within the university community and across the state.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, said the government had taken note of the viral message warning of a possible attack by individuals described as terrorists and jihadists.
According to him, investigations indicate that the alarm is false and part of a deliberate attempt by criminal elements and their collaborators to undermine public confidence in the state’s security efforts.
Agbo recalled that similar false alerts had been circulated in the past concerning locations such as Holy Ghost, Obollo Afor, Opi, Nsukka, Gariki, Awgu, and other parts of the state. He noted that those behind previous misinformation campaigns often operated anonymously and recycled old videos to create the impression of ongoing attacks.
He added that many of the perpetrators of the earlier false alarms were eventually identified and apprehended by security agencies.
The commissioner disclosed that the state government is already working closely with security agencies to track down those responsible for the latest viral post and ensure they face the consequences of their actions.
Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to public safety, Agbo said the government had continued to invest heavily in modern security infrastructure and technology to strengthen security operations across the state.
He stressed that the protection of lives and property remains a top priority of the administration of Peter Mbah, noting that recent investments have significantly improved the capacity and responsiveness of security agencies operating in the state.
The government therefore urged members of the UNN community, residents of Nsukka, and the general public to remain calm and continue their lawful activities without fear, assuring them that adequate measures are in place to guarantee their safety.
It further reiterated its resolve to sustain efforts aimed at maintaining peace and security across Enugu State while taking decisive action against individuals who spread false information capable of causing public panic.
The Methodist Church Nigeria has honoured the General Manager of the Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Hon. Monday Diamond Ani, with the prestigious “Apostle of Faith Award” in recognition of his outstanding humanitarian services and contributions to community development.
The award was presented by the Methodist Diocese of Akegbe, Aninri and Awgu Archdiocese (AAA) under the leadership of Rt. Rev. C. Orji, the Methodist Bishop of AAA Diocese, Enugu.
According to the Church, the honour was bestowed on Hon. Ani in acknowledgment of his selfless commitment to community development, social welfare, and humanitarian service over the years. The Church noted that his contributions have transcended political considerations and have positively impacted countless lives across communities.
His consistent humanitarian interventions have earned him the popular title “Odoziobodo”, meaning “one who builds and restores communities.”
Hon. Ani is widely regarded as a passionate advocate for community service, driven by a desire to improve living standards and promote love, unity, and a sense of
belonging among the people. His dedication reflects Christ’s teaching on the greatest commandment—love for God and love for one’s neighbour—placing service to humanity at the centre of purposeful living.
Due to his unavoidable absence, the award was received on his behalf and later presented to him at his office by Dr. Okechukwu Animba, Vice President (South-East) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
Responding to the honour, Hon. Ani expressed profound gratitude to Rt. Rev. C. Orji and the entire Methodist Diocese for recognising his humanitarian efforts. He prayed for God’s continued grace and strength to serve humanity and touch more lives through his work.
He also appreciated his principal, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, for appointing him to lead the CSDA, an agency charged with driving community interventions and sustainable development across the state.
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