The management of AIPCC Energy Limited, operators of the Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited (ERPCL), has raised concerns over a persistent lack of crude oil supply, which is hampering the operations of its fully functional 1,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery.
Despite the recent directive from President Bola Tinubu that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) should supply crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and other modular refineries in the country in Naira, the Edo Refinery has yet to receive any crude from the relevant authorities.
Speaking to journalists in Benin-City over the weekend, Segun Okeni, a representative of the Edo Refinery, revealed that the refinery, located in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha local government area of Edo State, is struggling to operate at its full installed capacity due to the ongoing crude shortage.
Okeni noted that while the refinery has had existing crude oil supply agreements with Seplat and ND Western since 2022, bureaucratic delays have hindered the refinery from accessing the essential resource. The lack of crude has put the refinery at risk of underutilization, despite its potential to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s refining capacity and reduce the nation’s dependency on imported refined products.
As the refinery continues to face these operational challenges, the management is calling for swift action from the authorities to resolve the bottlenecks and ensure a steady supply of crude, enabling the refinery to operate at full capacity and meet the growing demand for refined products in the country.
