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Illegal refineries once supplied all diesel consumed in Nigeria – Kyari

Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, disclosed that in the past, illegal refineries supplied all the diesel consumed in Nigeria.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Business Morning program, he addressed the efforts to combat insecurity and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.

He explained that there was a time when diesel importation into the country was almost non-existent, yet there was no shortage of diesel, indicating that all consumption was supplied by these illegal refineries.

Mr. Kyari mentioned that there were more than 20,000 pits spread across the region involved in crude oil theft, but the scale of this activity has reduced over time due to the efforts of security agencies.

He highlighted the progress made by the federal government and security operatives in reducing the number of illegal refineries being dismantled across the Niger Delta.

The challenge of oil theft in the Niger Delta persists, with military forces consistently discovering new illegal operations each week. This situation poses a serious problem for the Federal Government as Nigeria struggles to meet its OPEC quota amid widespread oil theft.

In 2024, Nigeria has continuously fallen short of meeting its OPEC oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day, significantly impacting revenues and foreign exchange earnings.

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