Fidelia Okafor.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, is exploring the possibility of piping crude oil from Niger Republic for refining in Kaduna.

The Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr Maikanti Baru made the statement when he paid a courtesy visit on Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i in Kaduna.

He said that it was important to explore alternative crude supply to Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, which has been affected by vandalism of pipelines and age.

“Due to challenges with the aged refinery and crude oil pipelines that had been breached severally, the operations of the refinery has been epileptic,” he explained.

“This, we are determined to resolve through various intervention methods including evaluation of alternative crude oil supply from Niger Republic through building pipelines of over 1, 000 kilometers from Agadem to Kaduna. The efforts are being championed by Mr President himself,” Baru emphasized.

He also pledged to sustain efforts at enhancing energy supply to power industries in Kaduna through the development of Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, as well as development of power plants in Kaduna and Abuja.

The GMD disclosed that the College of Petroleum Resources in Kaduna would start operation on January 1, 2017, and thanked the state government for undertaking to construct internal roads in the school.

He urged the governor to sensitise residents against sabotage of the nation’s oil assets due to its adverse effect on the community, environment and national economy.

Responding, Governor El-Rufa’i said the corporation had assumed a new toga since Baru took over, adding that prompt remittances by the corporation to the Federation Account has remained consistent.

“We are very interested in the NNPC because how well you do affects our lives as states and as a country, that is why many of us are quite gratified you are in charge because results are beginning to show as remittances to the Federation Account are higher, state governors are happier than before,” he said.

The governor pledged to support the gas pipeline project because of its tremendous potentials to the social and economic stability of the state.