IARSR urges FG to legalize modular refineries in the N’Delta

By Adeleye Kunle

The Institute for African Renaissance Studies and Realization, IARSR, urged the Federal Government on Sunday to legalize modular refineries in the country, claiming that it would save the country money and increase revenue generation, Track News reports.

Yahaya Ndu, Director of IARSR at Gregory University, Uturu, made the appeal during a briefing in Abuja, saying that engaging artisanal (illegal) oil refiners in the Niger Delta region and legalizing their operations would be a win-win situation for the country.

According to him, some artisanal refiners have the capacity to produce chains of petroleum products and supply them for both domestic consumption and export around the world.

“I urge the Nigerian government to be realistic and immediately put in place all necessary machinery to legalize, standardize, regulate, and monitor all so-called illegal refineries in the country, the vast majority of which are in the Niger Delta.”

“How can we be destroying locally built mini-refineries that, if encouraged, could help alleviate the scarcity of petroleum products while also providing gainful employment for our people?” Does it make sense to do so while the country spends trillions subsidizing imported refined petroleum products?” he wondered.

He noted that years of government neglect of the Niger-Delta region, combined with worsening unemployment, resulted in a flurry of illegal oil refining operations and the risks associated with them.

“On April 24th, 2022, an explosion at one of these refineries killed more than 100 people.” A previous explosion killed 25 people in October 2021, and illegal oil refineries discharge residue from boiling crude into rivers, polluting wildlife habitat and the water cycle, among other things.

“If illegal refineries are legalized, standardised, and monitored, it could be a win-win situation for everyone,” Ndu explained.

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