Our refineries may soon commence operations – NSChE president

The National President of Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, (NSChE), Saidu Mohammed has disclosed that the nation’s refineries may soon commence operations.

He, however, said the relevant arm of government remain the final arbiter on the development. Already, the NSChE and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), have formed an appreciable synergy mounting reasonable pressure on the Federal Government to ensure prompt commencement of works at the refineries.

Mohammed, an engineer spoke in Ilorin on the occasion of the 52nd Annual Conference/Annual General Meeting (AGM) and exhibition of the association.

According to him: “For so many years we had expressed our mind that Nigerian refineries can be brought back into operations. At present the NNPC is making some efforts to repair our refineries. We need to export our refined oil and not the order way round. This remains our position.”

Speaking on some present inhibiting factors of production in Nigeria, Mohammed said insecurity and epileptic power supply formed the thrusts of the problems.

His words, “kidnapping has made the costs of doing business in Nigeria higher. We are not different from any other person’s suffering from kidnapping. Production costs must be brought back to the level of the past. 

“We have collaboration with Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) to give production costs a human face. The manufacturing sector is the largest employer of labour any where in the world and Nigeria can’t be different.”

He added, “No nation can truly claim to have developed if they are engaged in mere trading activities. True development comes through establishment of a robust manufacturing base which creates a window of opportunities, jobs and other economic benefits.”

Speaking on the theme of the conference, ‘Rejuvenation of the Nigerian Industrial Sector: The Chemical Engineering Perspective,’ Mohammed noted that rejuvenation of the Nigerian industrial sector remained the catalyst for a turnaround in the economy of the nation.