By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Jan. 8 -- On Thursday the Nigerian government plans to seek international bids for the construction of new refineries, as part of its liberalization of the downstream sector.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' news agency reported that Funsho Kupolokun, special assistant to Nigeria's president on petroleum matters, said the government hoped to license about five refineries with a capital outlay of not less than $1.8 billion.
Two private firms previously were licensed to build refineries, but those projects have yet to get underway.
Kupolokun said next week the Department of Petroleum Resources would call for tenders for the import of petroleum products.
He said cargoes of oil products could be landed at Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Warri, and the additional supplies would reduce fluctuations in fuel prices.
Kupolokun said the government planned to divest its interest in the Petroleum Equalization Fund, which it used to regulate prices for Nigerian National Petroleum Corp.
He said, "Everybody is fed up with monopoly, and everybody believes that liberalization is the answer. What serves the interest of everybody today is to move away from monopoly and have freedom of choice."
