NEWS
Old Port Harcourt Refinery Running At 90% Capacity, NNPCL Clarifies
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has refuted reports suggesting that the Port Harcourt refinery is operating at only 70 percent of its capacity, clarifying that it is currently functioning at 90 percent of its 60,000 barrels per day capacity.
The clarification follows statements from the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), which had on Thursday, claimed that the refinery was operating at 70 percent and was expected to increase to 90 percent.
However, in a statement released on Friday, NNPCL set the record straight, revealing that the refinery is already running at 90 percent throughput, producing products such as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel, and kerosene.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Journalist Fisayo Soyombo Detained For Exposing Smuggling, Corruption Ties
“There are a number of other wild claims made by the man, one of which was that the refinery was producing 1.4 million barrels per day. The nameplate capacity of the refinery is 60,000 barrels of oil per day.
“It is currently producing at 90 percent throughput which translates to Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphta) blended into 1.4 million liters of PMS, aside from other products like diesel and kerosene,” NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye said.
The Port Harcourt refinery, located in Alesa Eleme, Rivers State, has been the subject of scrutiny in recent months as it gradually resumes full operations.
The old refinery is currently in operation, while the new refinery, with a much larger capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, is still undergoing rehabilitation. Both refineries share infrastructure within the same complex.
In addition to clarifying the refinery’s output, NNPCL also addressed claims made by Timothy Mgbere, a self-styled “community person,” who alleged that the refinery was only blending old stock and not truly refining crude.
Mgbere’s assertions included a claim that the truck-out of PMS earlier this week was a staged event.
NNPCL strongly rejected Mgbere’s allegations, calling them “a crass display of ignorance” and misleading to the public.
The company further explained that the old and new refineries share a common loading gantry, allowing products from both facilities to be distributed from the same point.
“We would have not bothered to reply to him considering that all his assertions were a crass display of ignorance… But the need to set the records straight has constrained us to clarify,” NNPCL stated in its response.
The company also pointed out the contradictions in Mgbere’s claims regarding the refinery’s operations, urging the public to disregard his statements as “obviously borne out of sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance.”
NNPCL added by reaffirming its commitment to transparency and its efforts to increase Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, ultimately reducing the country’s reliance on imported fuel.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has approved the appointment of a new Acting Director of Administration for the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu.
This was contained in a statement in Uburu on Thursday by the DUFUTH’s Public Relations Officer, Agwu N. O.
According to Agwu, the new appointee is Edith Anih, an indigene of Enugu State with relevant working experience, having worked at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, where she was Deputy Director of Administration.
It was gathered that the approval was conveyed in a letter dated April 23, 2025, addressed to the Chief Medical Director.
Prior to her appointment, Anih held the position of Deputy Director of Administration at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.
ALSO READ: CVFF- House of Reps Backs Marine & Blue Economy Ministry
He wrote, “Mrs. Anih Edith Ndidi is a seasoned administrator born on May 22, 1973. She is married and hails from Enugu State, specifically Enugu South Local Government Area.
“She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. She is also an associate member of the Institute of Health Service Administrators of Nigeria (IHSAN).
“The Management of DUFUTH extends a warm welcome to the new DA and looks forward to collaborating with her as she brings a fresh perspective to the hospital’s administrative leadership.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to launch a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), in a major move aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
READ ALSO: Loans Necessary For Budget Despite High Revenue Collections – Wale Edun
Edun explained that the upcoming audit, along with recent changes in NNPCL management, is part of a broader effort to reform the state-owned oil company and rebuild trust in Nigeria’s economic institutions.
Addressing top global investors, including representatives from financial giant J.P. Morgan, Edun outlined a series of bold economic reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He said the measures are already yielding positive results and have laid a strong foundation for future growth.
“Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it,” Edun said. “We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
According to Edun, Nigeria’s economy grew by 3.84% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with an overall annual growth rate of 3.4%.
He described the government’s economic strategy as “unprecedented,” adding that key indicators such as the budget deficit, trade balance, and exchange rate have all shown signs of improvement.
“We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course,” he emphasized.
The minister also highlighted the government’s focus on agriculture as a critical driver of economic growth, saying efforts are underway to close the food supply gap by empowering local producers.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
In the area of infrastructure, Edun announced that 90,000km of fibre optic cable has been rolled out to boost internet connectivity, especially for young Nigerians and the tech ecosystem.
Additionally, 4,000km of roads have been earmarked for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.
In the early hours of Thursday, Kyiv was rocked by a devastating Russian missile and drone attack, described by Ukrainian officials as one of the most brutal strikes on the capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia unleashed 70 missiles and 145 drones overnight, targeting several cities across the country.
The barrage on Kyiv left at least nine people dead and over 60 wounded, including six children.
READ ALSO: Suspected Attack: Explosion Strikes Russian Consulate In France
Air raid sirens blared across the capital around 1:00 a.m., warning residents to seek shelter.
Moments later, loud explosions shattered the night, lighting up the sky and shaking buildings. “Phone calls can be heard from under the rubble — the search will continue until we are confident that we have found everyone,” said Interior Minister Igor Klymenko.
He confirmed that two children remained unaccounted for amid the chaos.
Rescue workers scrambled to pull survivors from under collapsed buildings. Fires broke out across multiple apartment blocks, and damage was reported in at least 13 locations.
In one tragic scene in the Sviatoshinsky district, a woman sat on a foldout chair beside a covered body, gently stroking the arm of a loved one killed in the strike.
Nearby, a bloodied woman clutched her dog as a first responder spoke calmly to her, trying to provide comfort amid the destruction.
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal condemned the assault in stark terms. “Cruise and ballistic missiles, drones, air bombs — Russia is cruelly and cynically firing missiles at Ukrainian cities, killing people while the world is making efforts to establish peace,” he wrote on social media.
The attack came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for a ceasefire. “Stopping the killings is the number one task,” Zelensky stated online following a meeting between his aides and Western officials in London.
However, any momentum toward peace appeared to falter. Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to respond to Zelensky’s offer to halt airstrikes on civilian areas and previously dismissed a joint U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire.
“Putin demonstrates through his actions, not words, that he does not respect any peace efforts and only wants to continue the war,” said Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. Echoing that sentiment, presidential aide Andriy Yermak declared, “Putin shows only a desire to kill.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking hours before the attack, claimed a peace deal with Russia was close.
He blamed Zelensky for stalling negotiations by refusing to accept Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, stating that Ukraine’s position “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field’.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces expanded their offensive to other regions.
In Kharkiv, at least seven missiles struck a densely populated residential district, according to city mayor Igor Terekhov. Russia’s defense ministry also reported downing 87 Ukrainian drones, including 45 over Crimea.
Earlier this month, Russia’s campaign of aerial terror intensified. A missile strike on the city of Sumy killed at least 35 people, while another attack on Zelensky’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih, claimed 19 lives — nine of them children.
World Bank Appoints Aliko Dangote To Elite Group
Ministry Appoints New Director For DUFUTH, Uburu
CVFF- House of Reps Backs Marine & Blue Economy Ministry
‘Na Dreadlock Dey Cause Insecurity?’ – Daddy Showkey Slams Gov Bago Over Arrest Order
$1bn Crypto Fraud: Court Authorizes EFCC To Arrest Six CBEX Promoters
