IPMAN, IYC support proposed sale of P/Harcourt refinery, give conditions

THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Port Harcourt Depot and the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Eastern Zone, have expressed their support for the proposed sale of the Port Harcourt refinery.

However, they both called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to ensure that the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) was running at optimal capacity before considering such sales.

This call is coming against the backdrop of a proposed sale of the Federal Government-owned refineries by the NNPCL.

Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL had recently hinted the possibility of the Federal Government considering the sale of some of its refineries to address the challenges confronting their rehabilitation and operational efficiency.

A press statement by Tekena ThankGod Ikpaki, Chairman, IPMAN Port Harcourt Depot Unit, and made available to our correspondent said the Port Harcourt Refinery was strategic to the supply of petroleum products across the Niger Delta region.

He said: “The brief resumption of operations at the refinery in November 2024, followed by another shutdown in May 2025 for maintenance, has once again brought to light the operational and technical difficulties that continue to plague this national asset.”

He said that this pattern reinforced IPMAN’s “long-standing position that the refinery requires more than intermittent rehabilitation; it demands consistent and experienced management, with a singular focus on functionality and sustainability. Whether the facility remains under the direct control of the NNPCL or is eventually handed over to a private entity, the most critical issue for us at this point is ensuring the Port Harcourt Refinery operates at optimal capacity.

“We believe that a fully functional refinery will have far-reaching benefits, offering alternative sources of refined products, stabilising the domestic market, creating jobs, boosting local content, and contributing to national energy security.

“Our only concern and sincere appeal to the Federal Government and the NNPCL is that competence, technical expertise, and a proven track record in refinery operations must be the top criteria in selecting any prospective buyer or management partner, should the company proceed with the sale or concessioning process.”

Also, Datolu Sukubo, Chairman, IYC Eastern Zone, speaking on the sidelines of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL’s Stakeholders Meeting in Port Harcourt on July 15, 2025, decried the inability of NNPCL to run the Port Harcourt refinery efficiently, “despite the billions of naira ditched into rehabilitating it.”

He said NNPCL should ensure a stakeholders engagement before a proposed sale of the Port Harcourt refinery, prioritse local content as well as conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and other such studies.

Sukubo said despite producing the oil on which Nigeria survives, Niger Deltan bear the brunt of the high cost of fuel, citing the differential in the prices of petroleum products in Rivers State, Lagos and other parts of the country.

He called for the refinery to be sold to “capable indigenous Niger Delta companies,” as well as the prioritisation of local content in the employment process.

Sukubo said the region had witnessed oil exploration for decades, but that lack of proper engagement with the host communities had increased their suffering and led to degradation of the environment.

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