Fuel War Brews as Dangote Urges Tinubu to Ban Fuel Imports
A fresh row is brewing in Nigeria’s petroleum sector as Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has urged President Bola Tinubu to ban the importation of refined petroleum products under the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy—a move oil marketers are fiercely rejecting.
Speaking at the Global Commodity Insights Conference in Abuja, Dangote argued that allowing fuel imports undermines local refineries and deters investment. He demanded that petrol, diesel, and other refined fuels be added to the list of banned items for government procurement, claiming importers are “dumping” cheap and toxic products into the Nigerian market.
> “We are now facing increased dumping of cheap, often toxic petroleum products—some of which wouldn’t be allowed in Europe or North America,” Dangote said.
He alleged that some imports are subsidized through discounted Russian crude, enabling fuel to be sold in Nigeria at artificially low prices—around 60 cents per litre—making it hard for local refiners to compete.
