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FG Expects 500,000 Jobs from Waltersmith Refinery

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waltersmith modular refinery

By Adedapo Adesanya

Imo State-based 5,000 barrels per day Waltersmith modular refinery looks set to provide 500,000 oil downstream sector jobs, according to the federal government.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timpre Sylva, while speaking at the official launch of the refinery, said this will reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.

He also stated that the project is part of efforts to gradually reduce the importation of petroleum products into the country with the support of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Waltersmith’s refinery, perhaps the first to commercially take-off in the country, is part of Nigeria’s efforts to reduce costs associated with fuel importation; augment local refining capacity of petroleum derivatives; establish Nigeria as a regional refining hub; and spur direct and indirect job creation through the downstream industry.

With a crude oil storage capacity of 60,000 barrels, Waltersmith modular refinery at Ibigwe Field, Ohaji Egbema council area of Imo State is expected to produce approximately 271 million litres of refined petroleum products annually, including diesel (AGO), kerosene (DPK), heavy fuel oil (HFO) and naphtha.

This first 5,000 barrels per day module will later be followed by 25,000 barrels per day and 20,000 barrels per day modules, which will enable the production of petrol, aviation fuel (Jet A1) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited had signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract in June 2018 with Houston-based VFuels V-fuels and Lambert Electromec. Construction of the modular refinery began in October of the same year and delivered in less than 24 months. The official commissioning earlier planned for May this year was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 health protocols.

At the commissioning yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the NNPC and DPR to provide crude supplies to Waltersmith and other modular refineries in the country to enable them to operate optimally.

Mr Buhari equally directed all other relevant agencies in the nation’s oil industry to ensure they do not starve the modular refineries of all their required resources, including condensate, to operate.

According to him, modular refineries represent four key policy roadmaps rolled out by his administration in 2019 to reduce importation of petroleum products. He expressed delight to commission the refinery, describing it as the largest modular refinery in Nigeria to date.

He said the refinery forms an important part of the economic reform which the country is currently undergoing, saying that the refining plant had already created thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the downstream subsector.

Also speaking at the event, the chairman of Waltersmith Group, Mr Abdulrazaq Isa, stated that, “The first module being commissioned today is 5,000 barrels per day, BPD, refining capacity. We are looking at 50,000 barrels per day refining capacity that will come with the planned additional two modules; 25,000 barrels per day and 20,000 barrels per day refining capacity respectively, which will then add PMS, aviation fuel and LPG to the product slates.”

On his part, the Governor of Imo State, Mr Hope Uzodinma, appealed to the federal government “not to kill this refinery by starving it of raw materials.” He said his administration would do everything within his powers to protect the investment.

It was gathered that the bulk of crude oil supply for this refinery would come from Waltersmith’s upstream business with backup from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 53 (Ohaji South) Seplat/NNPC Joint Venture (JV), third party crude currently processed at Waltersmith Ibigwe Flowstation and additionally from the 2020 Marginal Fields Bid Round for a nearby asset.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Michael Uwakwe of Creditville Joins Chams Board as Non-Executive Director

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Michael Uwakwe creditville

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The chairman of Creditville Limited, Mr Michael Uwakwe, has been appointed to the board of Chams Holding Company Plc as a non-executive director.

His appointment, according to a statement from the organisation, was effective Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

The board expressed confidence in his dynamic leadership, saying it will foster collaboration, inspire teams, and deliver transformative results for stakeholders.

Mr Uwakwe, who retired from TotalEnergies after 30 years of active service, chairs Creditville Limited, a financial services company involved in consumer lending, equipment leasing, capital market operations and real estate.

He is a Human Resources professional by qualification, training and experience with a deep interest in analysing financial markets around the globe. He is also well-versed in all aspects of investment analysis, asset allocation, and risk management and is a PENCOM-approved member of the Investment Strategy Committee of the Total Closed Pension Fund.

Mr Uwakwe sits on the board of Redwood Asset Management Company Limited, a SEC-approved Fund & Portfolio Manager.

He is a Fellow of the National Institute of Credit Administration of Nigeria, a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (UK), a member of the British Psychological Society (London), and an Associate Member of the Nigeria Institute of Management.

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Tinubu Appoints Aliyu as New PTDF Scribe, Renews Abdulaziz as TCN MD

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Tinubu's Portrait

By Adedapo Adesanya

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

Mr Aliyu, a professor, is to replace Mr Ahmed Galadima Aminu, who recently resigned to participate in the 2027 governorship election in Adamawa State.

In a statement by a spokesperson to the President, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, it was disclosed that the appointment of Mr Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz as the chief executive of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been renewed for a second and final term.

These appointments are said to take effect immediately.

Professor Aliyu, the new PTDF helmsman, is a distinguished academic and seasoned administrator with extensive experience in research, education, and institutional leadership. His appointment underscores the President’s commitment to strengthening key institutions in the petroleum sector and advancing capacity development for Nigeria’s energy industry.

“The President expects him to leverage his wealth of experience to reposition the PTDF for greater impact in human capital development, innovation, and strategic support for the oil and gas sector in line with national priorities.

“President Tinubu renewed Engineer Abdulaziz’s appointment following a comprehensive assessment of his performance and leadership of the nation’s transmission network.

“Under his stewardship, TCN has recorded notable improvements in grid stability, transmission capacity expansion, and system modernisation, reinforcing its critical role in Nigeria’s electricity value chain.

“Engr. Abdulaziz brings over three decades of experience in the power sector and has also strengthened regional electricity integration through his leadership in the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

“President Tinubu urges both appointees to discharge their responsibilities with diligence, integrity, and a strong sense of national service,” the statement said.

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NNPC Grows Workforce by 12% to 6,247 in Q4 2025

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NNPC Crude Cargoes pricing

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited saw its workforce rise by 12.2 per cent to 6,247 at the end of 2025 from 5,566 in the corresponding period of 2024, according to its latest employee data.

The state oil firm stated that its employees increased by 14.3 per cent from 5,495  recorded at the end of the first quarter of 2025 to 6,280 at the end of the second quarter of 2025.

Its staff strength, however, dropped by 0.11 per cent to 6,273 workers in the third quarter of 2025 and further shrank by 0.41 per cent to 6,247 in the last quarter of the year under review.

Giving a breakdown of its workforce in terms of gender, the NNPC disclosed that at the end of the fourth quarter, 5,044 employees, representing 80.7 per cent of its workforce, were males, while 1,203 employees, representing 19.3 per cent of its total workforce, were females.

Further breakdown revealed that Junior Staff 2 (JS 2) and Junior Staff 1 (JS1) cadres had one staff member and 175 staff members, respectively, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, as against one staff and 187 staff members, respectively, recorded in the third quarter of 2025.

In addition, the Senior Staff Seven (SS7) cadre had 31 employees, remaining the same as in the previous quarter, while the SS6 cadre dropped to 1,010 staff, from 1,012 staff recorded at the end of the third quarter of 2025.

The SS5, SS4, SS3, SS2 and SS1 staff cadre recorded 1,076 staff, 164 staff, 389 staff, 471 staff and 1,829 staff, respectively, in the quarter under review, compared with 1,076 staff, 164 staff, 391 staff, 478 staff and 1,835 staff, respectively, recorded in the third quarter of 2025.

Management Six (M6) cadre had 695 staff in the second quarter of 2025, compared with 699 staff in the same category in the previous quarter, while M5, M4, M3, M2 and M1 cadres had 237 staff, 117 staff, 47 staff, seven staff and one staff respectively, compared with 243 staff, 116 staff, 44 staff, seven staff and one staff in the corresponding cadres in the third quarter of 2025.

Further analysis of the NNPC workforce across different cadres showed that JS2 and JS1 accounted for 0.02 per cent and 2.75 per cent of its total workforce, respectively, while SS7, SS6, SS5, SS4, SS3, SS2 and SS1 cadres accounted for 0.50 per cent, 16.17 per cent, 17.22 per cent, 2.63 per cent, 6.23 per cent, 7.54 per cent and 29.28 per cent of the state oil company’s total workforce, respectively.

In addition, NNPC’s M6, M5, M4, M3, M2 and M1 cadres accounted for 11.13 per cent, 3.79 per cent, 1.87 per cent, 0.75 per cent, 0.11 per cent and 0.02 per cent, respectively.

In general, the NNPC Limited noted that it had 173 employees in its junior staff category; 4,970 employees in its senior staff category, and 1,104 employees in its management category.

It also reported that in its middle management cadre, it has 932 employees, accounting for 14.92 per cent of its total workforce, while the top management cadre had 172 employees, accounting for 2.75 per cent of its total workforce.

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