An energy expert Dan Kunle has disclosed that despite claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, to have fix refineries and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s capacity to meet domestic demand, NNPCL and some cabals have continued to import petroleum product into the country.
Kumle instead urged the Federal Government and the NNPC to prioritize domestic refining capacity as recent reports indicates that NNPC, oil Marketers spent N5.5tn on petrol, diesel importation in four months.
The energy expert Mr Kunle was speaking on Arise TV program yestreday Sunday, where he claimed a massive importation of petrol and diesel by NNPC and some marketers over the past four months where he likened the scenario to the notorious ‘cement Armada’—a scandal from the 1970s, during Nigeria’s oil boom, where hundreds of cement-laden ships flooded the ports, causing years of congestion.
Mr Kunle expressed disappointment that despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive and the Federal Executive Council’s decision to allocate local crude oil to domestic refineries; relevant government agencies are blatantly disregarding these directives with no consequences.
In his statement, “I was expecting a transition following the Federal Executive Council’s decision in October 2024 to allocate local crude to domestic refineries, with Dangote Refinery being the key player due to its technical capacity. However, the situation hasn’t changed, and we’re still seeing a massive influx of imported fuel. It’s still a full import Armada, similar to the cement Armada.
“The level of imports we’re witnessing is unprecedented, raising serious concerns about what’s really going on. Is it an attempt to flood the market, introduce substandard fuel into Nigeria, and possibly frustrate Dangote Refinery? The mistake here is that Dangote Refinery is operational, already refining 550,000 bpd and producing high-quality products. This importation is completely unnecessary. It’s time to urge the president to act and end this petrol import racket once and for all,” he stated.
According to Mr Kunle, it defies the common sense for certain individuals to continue pushing for importation of petroleum product, especially when countries like the United States are protecting its domestic industries to boost their own economies. And here we are sabotaging the Dangote Refinery that could ensure energy security for the country, something the regulatory authorities have neglected for years.
He called on president Tinubu to demand for a transition timetable from the relevant authorities on how and when Nigeria will shift from being an importer of refined products to a net exporter.
He reiterated that Dangote Refinery is a strategic national asset, that government should work on how to remove all obstacles against its smooth operation.
Explaining he said, “The Dangote Refinery is a national strategic asset. There’s no need for a court case. The federal government should step in. We don’t need a legal battle; the government should ask NMDPRA for a transition timetable to move us from importing petrol to self-sufficiency. If the president stays aloof, it will harm the country. No new investments will come if you treat an investment like Dangote’s as an enemy. The importers are the true enemies”.
Mr Kunle stressed that with Dangote Refinery’s capacity and the reported revival of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, Nigeria should be transitioning from reliance on oil imports to becoming a net exporter of refined petroleum products, but contrary is what Nigerians are witnessing he concluded.
