The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on Tuesday disclosed that the Federal government’s target to end importation of petroleum products in 2019 is non-negotiable, stressing that operators in the oil and gas industry, who cannot deliver on the target have failed the country.
Speaking during the inauguration of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest tank farm built by Petrolex Oil and Gas Limited in Ibefun, Ogun State, Kachikwu stated that all the refining capacities being developed in the country should be geared towards achieving this target.
He urged the Chairman of Petrolex Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Segun Adebutu to expedite action on the implementation of the 250,000 barrels per day refinery being planned by the company.
“The future here is very pregnant because of the successful birth we are experiencing here today. It is pregnant because tomorrow beckons very sharply. It beckons in terms of the great development of pipeline infrastructure; great refining that I hope and I am going to encourage and persuade and cajole him to bring forward and make possible before 2019 and I am sure the vice president is shaking his head to that one,” Kachikwu said.
“It is important that all the refining capacities, whether it is the Dangotes; whether it is the four refineries that the Group Managing Director of NNPC is reactivating; whether it is the Niger-Katsina initiative and of course, Petrolex – we must encourage all of them to help us work assiduously in delivering refining capability par excellence, so that by 2019, we will be able to say that for the first time in this country, we are able to produce all the products that we need,” the minister added.