Oil marketers have expressed optimism about the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s 21 depots by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited following the recent revival of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries by the NNPCL.
Although the national oil company has promised to get the depots running, dealers in the downstream oil sector told our correspondents that it is important to hasten the revamp of the facilities, as this would increase the gains of having functional refineries in Nigeria.
They urged the national oil firm to take immediate and decisive steps to restore all inactive fuel depots owned by the company across the country.
The national oil firm, who currently incur extra costs in payment to private depots for handling its products, was tasked to revamp the 21 idle stations for the benefit of Nigerians.
Dealers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association Nigeria said the operational commencement of the 210,000 barrels per day Port-Harcourt refinery and the 125,000bpd Warri refinery is enough reason to bring back the moribund depots and further reduce petrol costs.
