Nigeria is set to boost its refining capacity as the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) announced plans to build a new, adaptable modular facility.

Samuel Onoji, the PTI’s Principal and Chief Executive Officer, disclosed this on Monday at a world press conference in Abuja ahead of the 4th Biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology (ICHST) scheduled for October 22–23, 2025, at the PTDF Towers, Central Business District.

New modular refinery coming

According to Onoji, the institute is partnering with industry players to develop homegrown technologies capable of advancing oil exploration, drilling, and refining in Nigeria, Punch reports.

The modular refinery project, he explained, is part of PTI’s broader efforts to bridge technological gaps and help Africa sustainably manage its hydrocarbon resources amid the global energy transition.

His words:

“We have been in the oil and gas business for over 53 years, developing local technologies to exploit these resources. We are not waiting for 2060, which may seem far away but is very, very close.

“We are developing a more stable and adaptable modular refinery to process our crude oil locally.”

According to Guardian, Onoji added that the institute has invested in advanced training and simulation facilities, such as “Drill 6,000,” to train experts in oil exploration and drilling technology, with a long-term goal of mastering the entire oil production and refining value chain.

Nigeria's crude to be refined locally

Speaking further, PTI’s Principal noted that Africa remains richly endowed with about 125 billion barrels of crude oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

However, he warned that the continent risks falling behind unless it invests in research, innovation, and local fabrication capacity.

He said:

“Africa should not hasten to abandon fossil fuels. “Rather, we must deepen research into cleaner, more efficient production methods as global demand for oil and gas will persist for decades.”

The PTI boss said only a few African countries currently possess the capacity to fabricate key oil and gas machinery, stressing that this knowledge gap underscores the importance of local content development.

Established in 1972, PTI serves as Nigeria’s foremost institution for manpower development in the petroleum industry.