Roles of NMDPRA, Kyari, Dangote, Refiners critical in ongoing downstream devt – Reps’ committee chair

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has said the roles of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) , Mele Kyari and President/CE, Dangote (Refinery) Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote and other indigenous […]

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has said the roles of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) , Mele Kyari and President/CE, Dangote (Refinery) Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote and other indigenous refiners are critical in the ongoing downstream sector development.

Ugochinyere who is the member representing Ideato North/South of Imo State in the House of Representatives stated this while receiving the Petroleum Engineering Students from North-central geopolitical zone who paid him a courtesy visit.

The lawmaker said the NMDPRA as a regulator, Kyari- NNPCL and Dangote as an investor and private sector participant in the downstream and other indigenous Refiners were responsible for the ongoing development of the downstream sector which is fulcrum of energy supply and economic advancement of the country.

The former students and youth leader urged the Petroleum Engineering Students to concentrate on their study and acquire skills so that they can bring positive impact to the petroleum sector after their graduation and urged them to understudy as well support the industry’s leaders.

He said: “the roles of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) , Mele Kyari and President/CE, Dangote (Refinery) Industries Limited,
Aliko Dangote are critical in the ongoing downstream development.

“For instance, the NMDPRA is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of the midstream and downstream operations; the overriding objective is to effectively control the petroleum industry’s midstream and downstream value chains to encourage sustainable growth, and promote adequate product pricing, supply, and national development.

“The NNPCL and its downstream agenda under the current leadership of Kyari , and the EVP downstream isiaku on the other hand is responsible for the downstream sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. This includes the refining ,distribution, marketing, and retail of petroleum products.

“Kyari’s efforts for instance have resulted into the transformation of national oil company, NNPCL and the country’s petroleum sector into a new era of competitiveness and profitability. His
commitment towards ending importation of refined fuel, support to local refineries with crude and investment in local refining companies are quite commendable and timely.

“Also playing critical role is the President/Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote whose Refinery against all odds is the world’s largest single-train refinery with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day which was inaugurated in May 2023.

“Since September 2024 that the refinery started producing petrol, it initially, supplied 25 million liters per day, with plans to gradually increase production to 35 million liters daily and is expected to play a major role in meeting Nigeria’s fuel needs, saving forex and reducing the country’s reliance on imports .

“The results of the efforts by Kyari and Dangote are already being felt as acknowledged by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria who attributed the fierce competition between Nigeria’s two refineries owned by Dangote and NNPC Limited for the recent drop in the pump price of premium motor spirit, PMS, also known as petrol.”