NNPC Signs MoU with Chinese Firms to Restart Warri and Port Harcourt Refineries

Nigeria Deepens Refinery Rehabilitation Drive as New Technical Equity Partnership Targets Energy Self-Sufficiency
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Chinese firms—Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd.—in a renewed push to accelerate the restart and expansion of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.
The agreement, which was disclosed in a statement shared via the official communications channels of NNPC Ltd and reposted by senior industry stakeholder Bayo Ojulari, signals a potential Technical Equity Partnership aimed at restoring Nigeria’s long-dormant refining capacity and strengthening downstream operations.
According to the announcement, the collaboration is designed to support the completion, rehabilitation, and sustainable operation of the two critical refinery assets, which have for years remained central to Nigeria’s energy security challenges.
The partnership is expected to combine technical expertise, industrial park management experience, and engineering capacity from the Chinese consortium with NNPC’s asset ownership and operational oversight, creating a framework for accelerated delivery and long-term efficiency.
Industry analysts note that the move reflects Nigeria’s continued openness to international technical partnerships as part of broader efforts to reduce fuel import dependence, stabilise domestic supply, and optimise state-owned refining infrastructure.
The Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have both undergone multiple phases of rehabilitation in recent years, with government stakeholders repeatedly emphasising their importance to Nigeria’s energy transition and economic resilience agenda.
While the MoU does not immediately translate into full operational restart timelines, it establishes a structured cooperation pathway that could define the next phase of Nigeria’s refinery rehabilitation strategy.
NNPC Ltd reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the partnership delivers measurable progress toward restoring refining capacity and improving energy security for the country.
The development adds to ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, where public-private collaborations are increasingly being deployed to address long-standing infrastructure inefficiencies and production gaps.
NNPC Limited has signed an MoU with two Chinese firms to support the technical rehabilitation and expansion of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, marking a new phase in Nigeria’s refinery revival efforts.