We’ll take legislative measures to protect local refineries – Reps

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The House of Representatives has said it will come up with legislative measures to address challenges faced by local refineries in the country.

The chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, stated this while speaking at the opening of the Downstream Week, organised by the committee, on Monday, October 13, in Abuja.

Ugochinyere, who commended the enforcement of Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligation (DCSO) by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), said the measure has ensured that local refineries have guaranteed access to crude feedstock before exports.

Nevertheless, he stated that local refineries still face challenges ranging from feedstock shortages to pricing uncertainty and regulatory overlaps.

Consequently, the lawmaker stated that to address the challenges, “the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) intends to pursue new legislative measures to: Grant local refineries first right of refusal on crude allocations, streamline regulations to remove all unnecessary delays.”

He added that the parliament will come up with “a Refinery Protection and Promotion Bill”, which will classify refineries as strategic national assets and ensure that they receive priority protection and support.

Ugochinyere noted that the House will also “introduce measures that guarantee unhindered access to crude feedstock and promote non-disruption of refinery operations across the country.”

According to him, “these steps are vital to sustaining investor confidence, creating jobs, and strengthening our energy independence.”