Artisans In Niger Delta To Get Crude Oil Refinery License, Says FG
Plans are underway for the kick-off artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta region, the Senior Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang has hinted.
Ita Enang, who gave the hint at the inauguration of Francis Olabode Johnson Foundation in Abuja on Monday, said that the plans were in advanced stages and would soon be launched by the President, whilst also calling on Nigerians to desist from using violence to air their grievances.
“The artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta Region will kick off soon as plans towards its fruition are in advanced stages.”
“I know that insecurity and other vices are heating up the polity. But we are calling on all Nigerians to come to the table so we can discuss our differences. We would never resolve the issues with the barrels of the gun.
“I would want to tell Nigerian leaders that the youths are not looking for accommodation, they are looking for rights to participate. They are looking for equal opportunities.
“Let us, by our actions and words, engage the youths intellectually and create jobs for them. Let us not be happy keeping the youths on the streets and telling them that they are leaders of tomorrow. That tomorrow we we were canvassing yesterday is now today,” Enang said.
The Senator said that the late Johnson as a reliable and practical labour union leader during his lifetime.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board, Ahmed Bobboi, said that the late Johnson ran PENGASSAN in a selfless manner and his leadership skills were uncommon, adding that there is a leadership challenge in Nigeria.
The increase in price of the available refined petroleum products for local consumption in Nigeria had led to the emergence of indigenous technology for petroleum refining in some parts of the Niger Delta region.
Currently, Nigeria lacks effective domestic refining capacity and so relies on importation of refined products to meet local need Presently, the country is faced with insufficient supply of useable energy due to poor development and management of the energy sector.
To the detriment of the nation’s earnings, most of these products are imported from other sources and imports account for more than 80% of the products supply in the country, bringing about a huge potential for domestic refining. The effect of this shortage is severely felt in the country, especially in the Niger Delta region.
Consequently, in quest to bridge the gap between production and consumption of refined petroleum products, some Nigerians have discovered an indigenous way of refining petroleum products using local technology.
This technology employs simple and local distillery process to achieve refined products by subjecting the distilleries with crude oil content to heat from open fire. The refining process yields Petrol, Kerosene and diesel.
Materials deployed for the operation are indigenously constructed and acquired, including: drilling machines, drums, Cotonou boats, pipes, fire woods, crude oil, pumping machines, rubber hose, dried wood, storage facilities, among others.
The operation is conveniently and effectively managed by few personnel and requires a low capital out lay to setup, depending on the choice of processing capacity adopted or entrepreneurial capability.
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