The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, has insisted that the company is not working against the prosperity of local refineries in the country.
Kyari revealed this while outlining the vision for Nigeria’s energy future at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Nigeria Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Annual International Conference and Exhibition themed: “Resolving the Nigeria Energy Trilemma: Energy Security, Sustainable Growth and Affordability” in Lagos, on Monday.
The NNPCL’s GCEO’s clarification comes in the wake of recent controversies between oil marketers and the Dangote Refinery.
However, the GCEO, who was the special Guest of honour at Monday’s event, debunked claims that NNPC Ltd. is sabotaging the efforts of domestic refineries.
Kyari said the NNPC Ltd. is part-owners of the Dangote Refinery, stressing that such an investment is a strategic move aimed at strengthening domestic fuel supply.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Dangote revealed that the NNPCL was originally meant to take a 20% stake in the refinery, but that has now been reduced to 7.2%.
According to Dangote, the NNPC had initially agreed to a deal worth $2.79 billion, which included an upfront payment of $1 billion.
However, after renegotiating the terms, the corporation decided to reduce its equity share.
“They’ve made a big mistake, but that’s where we are now,” Dangote remarked, emphasising that the agreement is now finalised, with Dangote Group holding the majority of the refinery’s shares.
He said, “We agreed with them and we gave them a good deal. Well, we structured an agreement. The first agreement was that they would pay us $1 billion as part of a deal worth about $2.79 billion. They paid that $1 billion roughly a year and a half ago. The balance of the payment was to be split into two portions:
“The first portion is every time they supplied us with crude (around 300,000 barrels), we would deduct $2 from the balance until the debt was paid off.
“The other portion would come out of their profits.
“However, the NNPC opted out of this structure. They got confused, or maybe there was some misunderstanding. They no longer wanted the crude deduction arrangement and preferred to pay the remaining balance in cash,” Dangote said.
However, giving an update on NNPCL’s relationship with local refineries, Kyari said the state oil company is set to collaborate with private refineries to ensure affordable and sustainable petroleum products supply; and Naira-for-crude transactions in order to stabilise the local currency and regulate forex markets.
This, he added, will bring about an expansion of gas infrastructure such as the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline and the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipelines projects and the development of cleaner energy options, such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Kyari also said that the NNPCL has stopped importing refined petroleum product,s and is now off-taking fuel from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other local refineries.
“Today, NNPC does not import any product, we are taking only from domestic refineries,” he revealed.
Recall that the NNPCL was the sole off-taker of Dangote PMS until the Federal Government permitted other marketers to approach the refinery for direct lifting.
This is as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Monday, said it has secured an agreement with Dangote Refinery to lift products directly.
IPMAN National President, Abubakar Garima, announced this in Abuja after a meeting of the National Working Committee of the Association.
He said the partnership will ensure a steady and affordable supply of PMS products nationwide.
Speaking further at the event, Kyari also said the company has perfected plans to deliver 12 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) mother stations and mini LNG plants soon, as part of efforts to boost the existing 1.6 billion standard cubic feet of gas supply for the domestic market.
“The energy trilemma is a profound responsibility we shoulder as stewards of Nigeria’s energy future. NNPC Ltd. is working tirelessly to improve our supply chain, develop new refining capacities and expand our retail network,” Kyari stated.
Explaining that the company is expanding its efforts to enhance domestic energy access, the NNPC Ltd. helmsman said the next 3-6 months will see significant project launches, including CNG mother stations, mini-LNG plants, and additional CNG daughter stations.
Kyari, who commended President Tinubu’s efforts to relieve forex pressures by reducing fuel imports and strengthening Nigeria’s local refining capacity, emphasised the need for collaboration, innovation, and technology in achieving Nigeria’s energy goals.
“Resolving the energy trilemma requires bold ideas, shared knowledge, and collective determination. Together, let us build a Nigeria where energy is secure, sustainable, and affordable for all.”
On NNPC Ltd.’s mandate to guarantee energy security as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, Kyari said the company has fostered partnerships and investments aimed at enhancing local production and generating revenue for economic diversification.