The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari has confirmed that the Port Harcourt refinery will start working in December 2023.

Kyari made the confirmation on Thursday during his meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

He also informed Abbas that the rehabilitation of the state-run refineries is in serious progress, saying it would put an end to the importation of petrol by December 2024.

I can confirm to you that by the end of December this year, we will start the Port Harcourt refinery, Kyari said.

Early in the first quarter of 2024, we will start the Warri refinery and by the end of 2024, the Kaduna refinery will come into operation.

This is the commitment we are giving today, and you can hold us accountable for this.

Kyari added that in 2024, many of the initiatives including the rehabilitation of Nigerias refineries and also the efforts of small-scale refineries as well as the upcoming Dangote refinery, will make the country a net exporter of petroleum products in 2024.

We will no longer be talking about fuel importation by the end of 2024. I am very optimistic that this will crystallize, the NNPCL CEO said. (The Guardian: Text, Excluding Headline)