Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has commended progress on the construction of the Azikel Refinery in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, describing the project as a potential hub of industrialisation in the Niger Delta.
Mr Jonathan made the remarks after visiting the refinery, where he assessed the progress of the privately funded project.
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In a statement published on his official Facebook page, the former president commended the scale, vision and strategic importance of the refinery, describing it as a “hub of the new industrialisation” of the Niger Delta and Nigeria’s South-south region.
“I was pleased to visit the Azikel Refinery in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and to see first-hand the progress being made on this important project,” Mr Jonathan said.
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He said the refinery, which is designed to produce a full range of refined petroleum products, including petrol, would contribute to Nigeria’s efforts to expand domestic refining capacity, strengthen energy security, promote industrial development and diversify the economy.
Mr Jonathan also commended the President of Azikel Group, Eruani Azibapu, for his vision, resilience and investment in the project, as well as his efforts to promote private sector-led industrialisation in the Niger Delta.
In August, Mr Eruani had explained that the refinery, originally licensed in 2015, had undergone extensive value engineering and redesign, resulting in an increase in processing capacity to 25,000 barrels per day and raising of total investment to about $1 billion.
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The Azikel Refinery was licensed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and has now gone through several enhanced value engineering and redesign to a 25,000 barrels per day capacity.
It is now valued as a $1 billion investment. The facility is a full slate hydro-skimming refinery capable of producing Premium Motor Spirit, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas, with plans to expand capacity to 125,000 barrels per day in the future.
The refinery was conceived as a strategic industrial project aimed at transforming Bayelsa State into a major industrial hub while creating employment opportunities and stimulating economic growth across the Niger Delta and Nigeria.
Following his visit to the refinery, Mr Jonathan said projects such as the Azikel Refinery and the Dangote Refinery were important steps towards greater local content, self-reliance and energy security in Nigeria.
According to him, investments of such magnitude demonstrate the potential of the Niger Delta to evolve beyond its traditional role as a crude oil-producing region into a major centre for refining, manufacturing, value addition, employment generation and industrial development.
READ ALSO: Dangote refinery drove Nigeria’s petrol supply in August as NNPC refineries remain shut — Report
The former president also acknowledged the contributions of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to the development of the refinery.
He commended AFC President Samaila Zubairu and the corporation’s board, as well as Afreximbank President George Elombi and the bank’s board, for their financial and institutional support for the project.
Mr Jonathan said the Azikel Group’s commitment to developing industrial infrastructure in the Niger Delta would help add value to Nigeria’s natural resources, create sustainable employment and contribute to the country’s economic transformation.
He added that such investments could also support broader industrial development across Africa by strengthening local production capacity and creating opportunities for economic growth.
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