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| DR. EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU |
Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Nigeria’s
Minister of State for Petroleum today Sunday in Kaduna gave information that
the country would in 2016 continue to import Premium Motor Spirit (pms), otherwise
known as petrol and probably in some years to come because even with the
nation's refineries working at full capacity the domestic demands cannot be met.
The
Minister who was speaking to newsmen during his inspection visit to the Kaduna
Refinery and Petrochemical Company stated that the best case situation was a
twenty five to forty percent of local production while the rest of the product
would need to be imported, he even envisaged a worst case situation as in what has
been the situation in the last few months where there has been hundred percent
importation.
Dr.
Kachikwu who said he had asked that all refineries to explore ways of
generating profit also stated that the Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri
refineries will commence full capacity production in the first quarter of 2016.
He noted that for the time being the Kaduna refinery was already producing
about 1.5 million litres a day, while Port Harcourt will commence production of
about two million litres per day by next week and Warri was expected to start
early next year.
He
said he was looking at a situation where each as “a typical refinery will look
at the lubes, petrochemical area, power areas and see how they can probably
expand the value chain and the potentials. He added that he was envisaging
investments from individuals who had the capacity, the speed and the time to be
able to accomplish an increase of the country’s refining capacity and until
that was achieved the country would continue to depend on both local and
imported products.
The
Minister gave an assurance that the queues present in filling station across
the country would stop in next two weeks as the NNPC was trying to bring the
situation under control. He said the NNPC only stepped in to provide products as
a temporary measure pending the payment to private marketers, who were being
owed for over a year for the supply of products.
What can one say about this?
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