Nine firms have submitted bids for co-location of new refineries within the nation’s four existing refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt.
The bid submission yesterday was witnessed by representatives of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP).
The names of the interested companies were however, not disclosed.
Describing the bidding as a demonstration of the determination of the federal government to increase the nation’s refining capacity from 445,000 bpd to 650,000 bpd, the Chief Operating Officer (Refineries) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Anibo Kragha, said “the aim is to leverage on the existing facilities to fast track the take-off of the refineries as soon as possible”.
Kragha added that a technical evaluation committee has been set up to study the bids and announce winning bids as soon as possible.
The NNPC’s General Manager, Supply Chain Management, Sophia Mbakwe, enjoined all the companies to accept the outcome with a promise that it will be transparent.
She added that all the rules of public procurement as spelt out in the Bureau for Public Procurement Act, would be strictly adhered to.
General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division Garba Deen Muhammad, said the NNPC was committed to boosting the nation’s refining capacity, which will end the perennial fuel scarcity.