The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to create a plan for integrating domestic refiners into the value chain of the country’s petroleum production.
Following the passage of a motion on the necessity of reforming and regulating Nigerian petroleum production in order to incorporate artisanal refiners into the value chain, the House passed its resolution. Mr. George Ozodinobi, the Deputy Minority Whip, made the motion.
Speaking on the proposal, Ozodinobi emphasized that using the country’s resources to advance development is essential under the constitution.
He maintained that “the government’s inability to recognize, regulate, and control artisanal refining of petroleum products” was the reason for the loss of lives and money. a practice he said has been prevalent in the Niger Delta region for decades.
The Labour Party chieftain noted that in 2016, “The Federal Government proposed the integration of artisanal refiners into mainstream oil and gas operations to encourage more local content in the industry and to advance the use of home-grown technology in petroleum refining in the region.”
Ozodinobi said that despite the Niger Delta’s substantial environmental deterioration over the past 70 years, governments have been unable to encourage artisanal refining or develop indigenous technology to alleviate Nigeria’s energy poverty.
“Deploying the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies to destroy artisanal refineries further degrades the environment that sustains Niger Delta communities,” he said, criticizing the stigmatization of indigenous artisanal refiners as “oil thieves.”
The legislator claims that Nigeria “has been a major exporter of crude oil but a chronic importer of refined petroleum products for decades due to the neglect of local refiners.” He maintained that the Dangote Refinery’s purported sabotage and recurring fuel shortages make things worse.
