Coalition Demands NNPCL Account For $3.5bn Refinery Rehab Funds

According to Ireporter Online, the Coalition for Oil Sector Reforms and Accountability has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to provide a full account of more than $3.5 billion reportedly expended on refinery rehabilitation projects before entering into new agreements with Chinese firms.

The coalition made the demand during a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, where its National President, Dr. Tekeme Umukoro, expressed concern over what he described as persistent opacity, waste, and repeated unfulfilled promises surrounding Nigeria’s refinery rehabilitation efforts. The group’s reaction follows a recent Memorandum of Understanding between NNPCL and two Chinese firms, Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xingcheng Industrial Park Operation and Management Company Limited, aimed at reviving and operating the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

Dr. Umukoro questioned the rationale behind initiating fresh partnerships without first accounting for previous expenditures, alleging that earlier rehabilitation efforts had consumed billions of dollars with little to no tangible results. He noted that successive administrations had consistently promised to restore operations at the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, yet those commitments had largely failed to materialise due to poor execution and lack of transparency.

The coalition further stated that reports indicating over $1.5 billion was spent on the Port Harcourt refinery alone, alongside additional substantial investments in Warri and Kaduna facilities, demanded urgent clarification. It stressed that Nigerians deserve transparency on how public funds were utilised, including details of contracts awarded, milestones achieved, and reasons previous rehabilitation programmes failed.

Dr. Umukoro also criticised the continued reliance on imported petroleum products and the persistent instability in domestic fuel supply, arguing that these challenges reflect the inefficiency of past rehabilitation efforts. He questioned the absence of audit reports and measurable outcomes, insisting that no responsible system should abandon previous failed investments without proper accountability.

The group also raised concerns over proposed changes in NNPCL’s operational strategy, including suggestions of a shift toward technical equity partnerships, warning that such arrangements must be fully disclosed to avoid compromising national energy sovereignty. It urged the federal government to publish a comprehensive audit of refinery rehabilitation spending from 2015 to date and called on the National Assembly to launch a public investigation into the sector’s expenditure over the past decade. The coalition further appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct anti-corruption agencies to probe any suspected financial irregularities linked to past refinery projects, warning that continued opacity risks deepening public distrust in the management of Nigeria’s oil resources.