The Chief Business Director of OPAC Refineries, Mr. Abudukerimu Sule, has called for greater predictability in crude supply, infrastructure and commercial frameworks to unlock private-sector investment in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum industry.
Mr. Sule made the remarks while participating as a panelist at the 2026 PTDF/PTDJ Summit in Abuja, themed “Private Sector Participation in Nigeria’s Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Sector: Prospects, Challenges and the Way Forward.” The summit brought together government officials, regulators, industry leaders, investors, researchers and other stakeholders to discuss the future of Nigeria’s petroleum sector. OPAC REFINERIES-2
Speaking from the perspective of a private refinery operator, Mr. Sule identified reliable crude supply, financing and infrastructure as some of the most significant challenges affecting private refiners.
He stressed that investment decisions depend not only on having a refinery or project licence, but on having confidence that the required feedstock will be available, the infrastructure to move it will be reliable, and products can be sold at commercially sustainable prices.
“What investors need, however, is predictability.”
Mr. Sule also highlighted opportunities beyond refining, particularly in gas processing, LPG, CNG, gas-to-power, storage, logistics and downstream value addition, noting that Nigeria has significant potential to attract investment across the wider energy value chain.
On domestic refining, he noted that large-scale and modular refineries can complement one another, with large refineries benefiting from scale and deeper conversion capabilities, while modular refineries can leverage proximity to producing areas and serve regional and specialised markets.
He further shared OPAC Refineries’ ongoing consideration of the technical pathway for converting naphtha into PMS, while emphasising that refinery upgrades must be supported by viable economics and dependable feedstock.
Mr. Sule’s contribution reinforced the importance of stronger collaboration between government and the private sector in creating the conditions required for sustainable investment and a more resilient domestic petroleum industry.
