Posted by Chinenye on Wed 14th Oct, 2026 - tori.ng
Nigeria’s long-awaited refinery recovery plans are facing another crucial step as NNPC waits for answers from Chinese firms.
(NNPC. Photo by Reuters)
The NNPC is waiting for technical reports from two Chinese firms, Sanjiang Chemical Company and Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management, before it moves ahead with more investment deals on the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh made the point in an interview online.
The firms have spent about three months assessing the plants alongside NNPC engineers.
The technical report is still being finished.
It will set out the work and technology needed to make the refineries competitive.
NNPC says it wants a partnership model where investors share responsibility for how the plants perform.
It does not want contractors who leave once they are paid.
Odeh said repairs alone are not enough, because the plants must also run reliably and profitably.
Next steps include finishing the report, getting a detailed proposal from the partners, and agreeing on technical and commercial terms.
Final agreements, approvals and an investment decision would follow. NNPC says it cannot promise a restart date until these steps are done.
The MoU was signed on April 30, 2026.
It is only a preliminary framework and not a final deal.
NNPC also said the partnership does not cover the Kaduna refinery, where work has not started.
On petrol prices, Odeh said better domestic refining could improve supply and reduce reliance on imported fuel.
NNPC's retail petrol discount, introduced on October 1, will continue until October 31, 2026.