Nigeria Relying on NNPC to Get Off Recession, Says GMD

By Chineme Okafor in  Abuja

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru has said Nigeria was relying on the improved efficiency and productivity of the corporation to overcome the current economic recession she is into.

Baru therefore charged staff of the corporation to become creative and efficient in their tasks, adding that their transparent management of the affairs of the NNPC would guarantee that.

According to a statement from the Group General Manager Public Affairs of NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu on Friday in Abuja, Baru stated this when he visited the Port Harcourt Refinery.

The statement also disclosed that as part of efforts to reposition the NNPC for profitability in line with the ’12-business areas’ point of his management, the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) will soon commence the production of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) popularly known as aviation fuel.

It quoted the Managing Director of PHRC, Dr. Bafred Enjugu, as saying in a presentation made to Baru, that the refinery had met all the international parameters for the production of aviation fuel.

“The good news from our stand point is that we have scored 24 out of the 24 parameters for the production of aviation fuel and I must say that this is made possible because of the never-give-up attitude of workers of the great PHRC,” said Enjugu.

Enjugu, according to the statement said the refinery had successfully blended ATK and was only waiting for appropriate conditions to commence full scale production of the product in response to demand of the aviation sector.

Baru, it stated, described PHRC as Nigeria’s flagship refining company, and that NNPC would do everything possible to ensure that it was operating profitably and contributing effectively to meeting local demand for petroleum products.

“We cannot under-estimate the importance of refining because that is our identity and we shall do whatever it takes to ensure that your two plants are running at all times and work to tackle whatever could militate against your achieving set targets and objectives,” said Baru.

He equally said during his visit to the Nigerian Gas Processing Transportation Company (NGPTC), the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Warri, that the NNPC would complete all ongoing gas infrastructure projects as part of measures to boost the nation’s economy.

Baru noted the NGPTC and NGMC were particularly important in the aggressive drive to provide gas for power generation and industries to propel the nation’s economic growth.

He explained the NGPTC was expected to drive gas infrastructure projects such as the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System II (ELPS II), Obrikom-Obiafu-Oben (OB-3), Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) and the expansion of the Eastern Gas network to completion, as well as maintain the operation of the existing network.

He stated that in the coming years, both NGPTC and NGMC would focus more on gas processing activities to enhance their growth opportunities.

On the reliance of Nigeria on the corporation to overcome her economic downturn, Baru said in the statement: “The country is technically in recession and is looking up to NNPC to be more aggressive in generating funds to help pull it out of the predicament.”

He thus enjoined NNPC staff to remain focused and ensure efficiency, transparency and excellent service delivery to customers.

This, the statement said the in-house leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in the subsidiaries assured him of their loyalty and support on.