The Petroleum Training Institute has announced plans to unveil a more adaptable modular refinery as part of efforts to deepen local refining capacity and boost Nigeria’s self-reliance in oil and gas technology.

The Principal and Chief Executive Officer of PTI, Samuel Onoji, disclosed this at a world press conference on Monday in Abuja ahead of the 4th Biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology scheduled for October 22–23, 2025, at the PTDF Towers, Central Business District.Onoji revealed that the institute is working with industry partners to develop homegrown technologies capable of driving oil exploration, drilling, and refining in Nigeria.

Adding that the modular refinery project formed part of PTI’s broader drive to bridge technological gaps and position Africa to sustainably manage its abundant hydrocarbon resources amid the global energy transition.“We have been in the business of oil and gas for the past 53 years. And so local technologies have been developed to exploit this oil and gas. We are not waiting for 2060, which is still far away, but it’s also very, very close. So, we are working on that. Like the modular refinery, we are also developing a more stable and adaptable modular refinery that can help us process our crude oil into refined crude oil.

“We are doing that already. Secondly, in the area of drilling, the Petroleum Training Institute has a well-functioning drilling rig that we use to train experts and train people in oil and drilling technology. We are also doing that.