Nigeria needs to repair its refineries

July 15, 1997 Nigeria needs 86 billion Naira (over $ 1 billion) to repair its ailing refineries, which have led to continuous fuel shortage in this top oil-producing country in Africa. Chief Dan Etete, the petroleum resources minister revealed this recently. The minister said that with the money provided, the rehabilitation of the country's 4 ailing refineries will take 18 months and will allow them to operate at an average of 85 % of their installed capacity.
The 4 refineries, 2 in Port Harcourt, 1 in Warri and 1 in Kaduna, were built 7 to 32 years ago. Ageing equipment plus poor maintenance have reduced their production to half of their capacities. According to the minister, none of the four refineries has undergone thorough maintenance in the last 3 to 4 years, whereas such maintenance should be done in every 2 years. As a result, the refineries can only produce a total of 9 million litres of fuel per day, only half of the country's daily consumption. Besides the maintenance problem, the minister also called for the need to hire foreign vessels to lift fuel to Lagos and other coastal cities, as the existing pipeline systems are aged and insufficient.