The new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kyari has explained how he hoped to end petroleum products importation in the country by 2023.

Kyari spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the valedictory ceremony in honour of the former Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, who retired on Sunday after attaining the statutory 60 years of age.

The new NNPC boss said he would reverse the trend of petroleum products importation by ensuring all the four refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna were rehabilitated.

Mr. Kyari said he would also encourage the speedy completion of the Dangote refinery as well as facilitate the establishment of more private refineries in the country.

“We must end the trend of fuel importation as an oil producing country,” Mr. Kyari said shortly after taking over the instrument of office as the GMD of NNPC.

“We will deliver on the rehabilitation of the four refineries within the life of this administration and support the private sector to build refineries.

“We will support the Dangote refinery to come on stream on schedule. We will transform Nigeria into a net exporter of petroleum products by 2023.”

According to the new NNPC GMD, his management team will galvanize the corporation to pursue the Federal Government’s target of raising crude oil production and reserves to three million barrels per day and 40 billion barrels respectively by 2023.
Transparency

On transparency and accountability, Mr. Kyari said he would strive to uproot corruption from all NNPC operations.

“The presence of the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, at the event, was a pointer to how much NNPC had changed over the past three years.”