The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has refuted claims that he instructed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to halt the operation of its refineries. Kamoru Busari, Director of Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who represented him at an event in Lagos. In a statement, Lokpobiri said: “My attention has been drawn to statements made by Engr. He clarified that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not control or run the company directly, adding that the oil and gas sector in Nigeria is fully deregulated. He stated, “The Nigerian government remains committed to promoting in-country refining, and we encourage companies, including NNPCL, to operate independently, following global best practices.

Source: Nigerian Tribune October 09, 2024 09:18 UTC