The NNPC has disclosed that it’ll shortly close down 3 of its refineries in Kaduna, Warri & Port Harcourt for a complete rehabilitation aimed at bringing them back to their nameplate production capacities.

Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, hinted reporters on Wednesday in Abuja that the shutdown of the refineries would permit the corporation to undertake their rehabilitation in ways that are different from what’d been done in the past.

He stated that the refineries would come back on stream as new facilities when it concludes the rehabilitation project ahead of the country’s plan to exit petroleum products importation in 2019.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural Nigerian Pipeline Security Conference & Exhibition organized by the Pipeline Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Baru said: “As you know, it is being the perception of the public that the repairs of the refineries are never done thoroughly. So this time, our intention is to shut down the refineries when we are ready, & then fully bring them back to what they should be as new refineries.”

He further stated: “Obviously, it is going to be a complex procedure & as such, we have to break down the various work packages to ensure that all the various workforces have sufficient focus, & if you notice the time that we inaugurated (eight committees on the refineries rehabilitation), the work streams are composed of the general managers & executive directors level, & they will be having a day-to-day look at it, while the steering committee is at my level & that of the chief operating officers all looking at the problems the workstations have & they will proffer solutions immediately.”

How this is going to affect the effective supply of petroleum products across the country is not known yet.