The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) is to investigate the state of the nation’s refineries before and after the shutdown.

The committee also said it will inquire into the challenges of refinery owners to access crude oil supply.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, who spoke at the end of the committee’s three-day retreat in Lagos, said it will look into the turnaround maintenance (TAM) said to have been carried out in the refineries.

The retreat was in preparation for the commencement of a full-scale investigation into the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing’s downstream assets by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as well as refinery upgrade.

The probe, according to him, is in compliance with the resolution of the House Representatives for his committee to reinvestigate the matter after the first report was rejected.

The lawmaker assured that the investigation would be different from the previous one, and pledged the committee’s commitment to “delivering real reforms that will ensure efficiency, fairness, and competitiveness across the board.”

He reiterated the decision of the committee to mediate in the crisis between the Dangote Group and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), to prevent further escalation.

The committee commended the Alhaji Farouk-led NMDPRA, the Dangote Refinery, modular refinery owners and other key stakeholders “for the massive efforts and investments being deployed to see a working and productive downstream sector that is now guaranteeing energy security for Nigeria.”

The retreat had brought together lawmakers, industry stakeholders, union representatives, and regulatory bodies, and was aimed at addressing concerns of alleged monopolistic practices, substandard petroleum products, and the marginalisation of key players in the oil sector.

It is expected that the retreat would reshape the downstream petroleum landscape and restore confidence in regulatory governance.