An operation control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising: an exhaust emission purifier for purifying exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine; a fuel supplying valve for supplying fuel to an exhaust passage extending from the internal combustion engine to the exhaust emission purifier; ignition means for igniting the fuel supplied to the exhaust passage by the fuel supplying valve, the ignition means having a heating portion; a warm up determining section configured to determiner whether or not the exhaust emission purifier need be warmed by the fuel supplying valve and the ignition means; an exhaust heating determining section configured to determine whether or not the engine is in an operational state in which the fuel should be supplied to the exhaust passage by the fuel supplying valve and the fuel should be ignited and burned by the ignition means in a case where the warm up determining section determines that the exhaust emission purifier need be warmed; the operation control apparatus being characterized in that it further comprises an exhaust heating predicting section configured to predict the transition from the operational state in which the fuel is supplied to the exhaust passage and should not be ignited and burned to an operational state in which the fuel should be supplied to the exhaust passage and should be ignited and burned; and a heat generation temperature setting section configured to set the temperature of the heating portion of the ignition means based on the determination result by the exhaust heating determining section and the prediction result by the exhaust heating predicting section. an exhaust emission purifier for purifying exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine; a fuel supplying valve for supplying fuel to an exhaust passage extending from the internal combustion engine to the exhaust emission purifier; ignition means for igniting the fuel supplied to the exhaust passage by the fuel supplying valve, the ignition means having a heating portion; a warm up determining section configured to determiner whether or not the exhaust emission purifier need be warmed by the fuel supplying valve and the ignition means; an exhaust heating determining section configured to determine whether or not the engine is in an operational state in which the fuel should be supplied to the exhaust passage by the fuel supplying valve and the fuel should be ignited and burned by the ignition means in a case where the warm up determining section determines that the exhaust emission purifier need be warmed; the operation control apparatus being characterized in that it further comprises an exhaust heating predicting section configured to predict the transition from the operational state in which the fuel is supplied to the exhaust passage and should not be ignited and burned to an operational state in which the fuel should be supplied to the exhaust passage and should be ignited and burned; and a heat generation temperature setting section configured to set the temperature of the heating portion of the ignition means based on the determination result by the exhaust heating determining section and the prediction result by the exhaust heating predicting section.