List of All Refineries in Nigeria (2024)

How Many Refineries Are in Nigeria

Nigeria is among top oil producers across the globe.

As a result of this economic activity, it is expected that refineries should abound in Nigeria.

This is because, refineries are very critical to development and production of oil industry.

Crude oil was discovered in Nigeria in the 1950s and not long after her independence in1960 oil production ensued in the country.

With the beginning of oil production in Nigeria, the federal government of Nigeria started building refineries and petrochemical plants with aim of making the country’s upstream and downstream sectors viable and independent.

In Nigeria today, there is still clamor for more funtional and viable refineries and petrochemical plants.

In this post will will be listing all refineries in Nigeria.

These are Nigeria’s top refineries. We may also use government approved refineries in Nigeria in this context because of illegal refineries that exists across Niger Delta Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Refineries: Biggest refineries in Nigeria

Before now, Nigeria’s federal government is the only investor in refineries in the country.

Since oil production started in Nigeria, the government has successfully established four (4) refineries across the country.

Despite the huge monies spent in putting these refineries in place, all government refineries in Nigeria are obsolete, down and less productive.

Different governments has spend huge sums to revitalize and resuscitate these refineries, however the exercise proved abortive.

Hence Nigeria is top crude oil producer and at same time a top importer of crude oil products like premium motor spirit (PMS), Kerosene, Fertilizer etc.

The situation is saddening and has lead to public outcry that government should fully privatize the sector.

The debate has continued especially during electioneering campaigns.

Till date all government refineries in Nigeria has remained dormant and less productive.

Currently, there are six (6) refineries in Nigeria. These Nigeria refineries consist of government owned refineries and private owned refineries in Nigeria.

List of Government Refineries in Nigeria

Majority of refineries in Nigeria are owned by federal government of Nigeria.

The total number of refineries owned by Nigeria’s government is four.

Below is the roll call of government refineries in Nigeria.

Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC)

Nigeria’s federal government has two refineries in Port Harcourt Rivers state.

These two refineries are located at Alesa Eleme. A town very close to Port Harcourt city.

The port Harcourt refineries has a jetty attached to it situated at Okirika town used for product imports and exports.

Okirika Jetty is 7.5km away from the Port Harcourt refineries.

So, Port Harcourt Refining Company is made up of two refineries.

It is one of the government refineries in Nigeria.

The Port Harcourt Refining Company has a combined refining capacity of 210,000 bpd.

Kaduna Refining & Petrochemicals Company Limited (KRPC)

This is another government owned refinery in Nigeria. It is the only refinery in Northern Nigeria.

Many people always ask of location of refinery in north Nigeria.

It is Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company Limited.

The refinery has a refining capacity of 110,000 bpd.

Currently Kaduna refinery is not working to full capacity and is only producing Kerosene.

Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company Limited (WRPC)

There is also another government owned refinery situated at Warri town in Delta State.

The Warri refinery has a refining capacity of 125,000bpd. It is among the Nigeria’s government refineries in the country.

Private Refineries in Nigeria

There are three private owned refineries in Nigeria.

These are refineries built or being built by private individuals with government licenses. Below is the list of private refineries in Nigeria.

Dangote Refinery, Lagos

Dangote Group, one of Nigerian’s biggest business conglomerate is constructing the biggest refinery in Nigeria.

The refinery is located in Nigeria commercial city of Lagos and has refining capacity of 650,000 bpd refining capacity.

Dangote refinery is billed to be ready late 2023 and is expected to start operation in 2023.

It is the biggest and largest refinery in Nigeria, as well as one of the private refineries in Nigeria.

Ogbele Refinery, Rivers State 

Ogbele refinery is another private refinery in Nigeria licenced by government.

The refinery is owned by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Ltd.

It is located in Rivers state and is into extraction of diesel (AGO) from crude oil.

It is another refinery that is privately owned in the country.

It has 11,000 bpd refining capacity with additional 10,000 bpd refining capacity under construction.

Azikel Refinery, Bayelsa 

Azikel refinery is refinery of 12,000 bpd refining capacity that is under construction in Bayelsa state.

The refinery is owned by Azikel Petroleum.

Funtional Refineries in Nigeria

Many people always ask are there funtional refineries in Nigeria.

This is topic we want to handle in this part of the post.

The questions pertaining to funtional refineries in Nigeria is dependent on the type of refinery.

Now there are two funtional refineries in Nigeria, however non of these refineries in Nigeria is refining premium motor spirit (Fuel) at the moment.

This is worrisome as petrol is the most sought-after product of crude oil.

The Ogbele refinery located in Port Harcourt is a refinery that refining only diesel (AGO) while Kaduna refinery refines Kerosene.

However, Kaduna refinery which is a government refinery is built to undertake full refining of crude products.

So, it is as a result of shortcomings and faults that it only restricted to refining Kerosene by NNPC.

End Note on Nigeria Refineries 

There is currently no Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) funtional refinery in Nigeria.

However the soon to take off Dangote refinery is a source of hope to Nigerians who always found themselves in petrol scarcity menace and continuous rise and change in price of petrol in Nigeria.

We are also watching closely to see if federal government will give into the yearning of experts and sell off and private its existing non funtional refineries.