Toba Owojaiye reporting
Bayelsa, Nigeria
The $850 million Azikel Petroleum Refinery is set to bring a new wave of hope and progress for Nigeria, an oil-rich nation that has long depended on fuel imports despite having abundant crude reserves. This state-of-the-art refinery, led by Dr. Azibapu Eruani, promises to deliver five million liters of premium products daily, drastically improving petrol availability. With the project 87% completed, it is a major step towards industrializing Bayelsa State and bolstering the country’s economy.
Truth Live News gathered that Governor Douye Diri, during his first visit to the refinery site in Yenagoa, hailed Eruani as a “jinx breaker,” for establishing Bayelsa’s first crude oil-related industry.
The governor said: “Dr. Eruani has established a modular refinery here in Bayelsa State and not in any other state. Let me on behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State congratulate you and thank you for this bold step to make our dreams come to pass.
“This is what our state’s founding fathers and all of us have been talking about. We cannot have crude oil and gas on our soil and not have electricity or industry in the state.
“You have broken the jinx and I am sure the younger generation will follow in your footsteps.
“Development is not done by the government alone. It is done in partnership with the private sector. That is why we are very glad that you are partnering the state government in developing Bayelsa State. Like you rightly said, this will bring job opportunities here and taxes will be paid to the state government.”
The refinery will create significant employment, with over 400 workers currently employed, 250 of whom are Bayelsans. Beyond jobs, the project stands to boost the state’s internally generated revenue and open more opportunities for private-public partnerships.
“Azikel Refinery has closed the unemployment gap with the employment of over 400 indigenous and expatriate workers, while 250 are Bayelsans and other Nigerians. To ensure that youths employed in Bayelsa are proficient, management took time to train and improve their skills in tandem with best practices and modern refinery operations’’, Eruani said.
This milestone not only breaks Nigeria’s dependency on fuel imports but symbolizes a shift towards local refining, which has long eluded the nation despite its vast oil resources.