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Fuel Crisis Looms As Dangote Pushed FG to ban importation
The ’Nigeria First’ policy seeks to ban government agencies from importing goods that can be produced within Nigeria. In May, Tinubu barred government agencies from importing goods or services that are available locally.
The policy stated that no procurement of foreign goods or services already available in Nigeria shall proceed without justification and a Bureau of Public Procurement waiver.
Speaking at the just concluded Global Commodity Insights Conference on West African Refined Fuel Markets hosted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in partnership with S&P Global Insights, Dangote requested in clear terms that petrol, diesel, and other refined petroleum products be added to the items banned by the policy.
According to him, the importation of fuel into Nigeria is killing local refining and discouraging further investments in the sector and even the economy. To remain viable, he urged governments across Africa to take deliberate steps as the United States, Canada, and the European Union have done to protect domestic producers from what he called unfair competition.
Dangote did not mince words when he said that the Nigeria First policy announced by Tinubu should apply to the petroleum products sector. “The Nigeria First policy announced by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, should apply to the petroleum product sector and all other sectors,” he stated.
This request by Dangote seeks to place a ban on the importation of petrol, diesel, and other products being produced locally. He argued that local refiners were finding it difficult to sell their products because of what he called dumping. The billionaire businessman alleged that importers were dumping toxic fuel that would never be allowed in Europe.
“And to make matters worse, we are now facing increased dumping of cheap, often toxic petroleum products, some of which are blended to substandard levels that would never be allowed in Europe or North America,” he said.
Dangote mentioned that some of the importers bring into Nigeria fuel or crude oil subsidised in Russia. This, he said, affects local pricing, forcing refiners to drop prices below their costs.
“Due to the price caps on the Russian petroleum products, discounted petroleum products produced in Russia or with discounted Russian crude find their way to Africa, severely undercutting our local production, which is based on full crude pricing. This has created an unlevel playing field in most African countries. Petrol and diesel are sold for about a dollar net of taxes.
“In Nigeria, due to this unfair competition, this price is just about 60 cents, even cheaper than Saudi Arabia, which produces and refines its own oil. This is due to the fact that we are having too much dumping. To remain viable, we urge the governments across Africa to take deliberate steps as the United States, Canada, and the European Union have done to protect domestic producers from unfair competition,” he stated.
The richest man in Africa said this was not to monopolise the sector but to produce local investments. He noted that those who have the resources to invest in Nigeria keep taking their resources outside the country while they criticise local investors.
“Let me take this opportunity to address concerns around monopoly and dominance. The reality is that too many people who have the means and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our nation’s growth choose instead to criticise from the sidelines while investing their wealth abroad,” Dangote said.
To prove that his $20bn refinery can satisfy local fuel needs, Dangote disclosed that Nigeria has become a net exporter of petroleum products, having exported approximately 1.35 billion litres of petrol to other countries worldwide in 50 days.
According to Dangote, between June and July 2025, the refinery exported up to 1 million tonnes of petrol, which is approximately 1.35 billion litres when converted.
“Today, Nigeria has actually become a net exporter of refined products. Before I came on the podium, I asked my people how many tonnes of PMS we have actually exported. From June beginning to date, we have exported about 1 million tonnes of PMS, within the last 50 days,” he said.
Marketers tackle Dangote
However, marketers disagreed with Dangote, urging the Federal Government not to consider adding petroleum products to the list of items banned from importation.
Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said independent marketers would not support that idea as it would spell doom for the sector.
“I heard that the NMDPRA stated clearly that Dangote cannot produce all the fuel that the country needs. We will appreciate it if the country allows importation to continue since we are not paying subsidy,” Ukadike said.
Reacting to Dangote’s claim that importation would kill businesses and local refineries, Ukadike differed. “Importation won’t kill local businesses or refineries; it will strengthen them. It will ensure local refineries step up their game. I don’t agree with Dangote on this,” he said.
Also, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, kicked against the call to ban fuel Importation. He said no one company should be allowed to dominate the downstream sector in a free economy.
While admitting that there is a need to ban the importation of some goods, he said these should not include fuel, stressing that Nigeria needs multiple sources of energy. “I don’t agree with Dangote. We are running a free economy. There’s no reason why any one company should have an overarching value on the entire industry.
“Importation is not killing the economy. Importation is stabilising the sources of petroleum products. Importation of all products is useful. However, those that can be produced in Nigeria, like toothpicks, garri, egusi soup, cassava, and others like that, should be banned.
“But importation of refined petroleum products should not be banned because it helps to ensure that there are multiple sources of energy and replenishment,” Gillis-Harry stated.
Expert reacts
An energy expert at the University of Lagos, Professor Dayo Ayoade, also warned against banning fuel Importation, saying this would promote monopolistic tendencies.
“No, we cannot have a ban on petroleum imports. It’s not a legal ban. That would not be acceptable because we don’t have diverse sources for petroleum products. We can’t rely solely on the Dangote refineries. That would give a monopoly to a private individual.
“And for the reasons of energy security and national security, that would be completely unacceptable. The government should continue to encourage, liberalise, and ensure other refineries come upstream. NNPC may want to privatise or sell off its refineries, then that’s fine. But we need to have a better base of product market before we now start to say we want to ban imports,” he said.
He queried what the local and international laws say about banning products.
“And you know, when we talk about bans, we have to look at international trade. International trade law does not really sit well with banning things. So, we have to be clever about how we do it. But if the market is ripe, it will be more expensive to bring in things from other countries than our own products, provided they are of sufficient quantity and the quality is fine,” the don submitted.
More refineries
During the NMDPRA conference, Dangote called on the regulator to encourage building more refineries. He charged the agency to withdraw dormant refinery licences from those holding on to them.
The IPMAN spokesman supported Dangote on this, saying, “On that side, I agree with him. You can’t obtain a licence to build a refinery and use it to decorate your house. The nation needs more refineries to do more exports.”
Dangote has repeatedly stated that his refinery has more than enough fuel to satisfy local fuel needs, wondering why some marketers insist on “sabotaging” his investment with importation. He disclosed recently that the refinery would produce hit 700,000 barrels per day capacity in December, an update from the current 650,000 BPD capacity.
On Friday, Dangote announced his retirement as a Director and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dangote Cement. According to a statement Friday by the Group Chief Branding & Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, Dangote is relinquishing his position as chairman and retiring from the board to focus more attention on the $20bn refinery, petrochemicals, fertiliser, and government relations.
Our correspondent gathered that the refinery is still taking delivery of the 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for its free fuel delivery scheme scheduled to commence on August 1.
The scheme will see the delivery of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel directly to filling stations and bulk consumers like telecommunication companies.
News
2027: Mandate Group Endorses ex Abia Speaker Chinedum Orji for Ikwuano/Umuahia Fed Constituency Seat
The Ikuku 2027 Mandate Group has endorsed former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, as its preferred candidate to represent Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in 2027.
In a statement titled, “Representation with Experience, Legislation with Results: The Ikwuano/Umuahia Compact for 2027,” the group said its position followed what it described as a careful assessment of aspirants seeking to represent the constituency.
According to the group, Orji stood out on the basis of his experience, capacity, character and record of public service, having previously served as Leader and Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly.
The group said its support for the former Speaker was based on what it described as a desire to take tested legislative experience to the National Assembly.
“We are presenting Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji to represent our Federal Constituency in 2027. This is not a campaign of noise. It is a campaign of structure, law, and delivery,” the group stated.
It said Orji’s experience in presiding over legislative debates, passing budgets and exercising oversight over the executive would equip him to effectively represent the constituency in Abuja.
The group outlined security, economic relief, youth employment, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and transparency as key areas of its proposed legislative agenda for the constituency.
On security, it said Orji would support legislation aimed at strengthening community policing, local security architecture and federal intervention against kidnapping and violent crime across Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South.
The group also said he would focus on legislation and oversight aimed at reducing the cost of doing business, improving access to credit for small and medium-scale enterprises and protecting households through scrutiny of policies affecting fuel and electricity costs.
On youth development, the group said the proposed agenda would seek to connect young people in the constituency to federal employment, entrepreneurship and skills-development programmes, including initiatives of the National Directorate of Employment and the Bank of Industry.
It added that education and healthcare would also feature prominently, with plans to advocate increased intervention in schools, expand access to scholarships and bursaries, and pursue improvements in primary healthcare and federal health infrastructure across the three local government areas.
The Ikuku 2027 Mandate Group further said Orji would use legislative engagement, budgetary advocacy and oversight to pursue federal road, electrification and water projects in the constituency.
“A legislator does not build a road, but he fights for it in the budget and monitors it,” the group stated, adding that quarterly reports on approved projects and their implementation would form part of its proposed accountability framework.
On agriculture, the group said the agenda would focus on policies supporting agro-processing, storage facilities, access to agricultural grants and improved market access for farmers, particularly in Ikwuano.
It also promised an open and accessible representation model, including annual scorecards, town-hall meetings across the three LGAs and a public tracker for constituency interventions.
The group said women, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups would also feature in its inclusion agenda, alongside support for women-owned businesses and girls’ education.
It further argued that the constituency deserved stronger federal presence, including more intervention programmes, training centres, agencies and infrastructure projects.
According to the group, its 2027 campaign would be built around ward-level engagement, policy town halls and what it described as data-driven voter outreach.
“Sloganeering gets attention. Campaigning gets results. And with Chinedum, you get both,” it stated.
The group described the proposed agenda as a “compact” with the people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South, built around legislation, effective oversight, accessible representation and transparency.
“This is our contract with you: Legislation that protects. Oversight that delivers. Representation that is accessible. In 2027, vote for experience that has led, and leadership that will legislate,” the group stated.
It adopted the campaign message: “Ikwuano/Umuahia First. Experience That Works.”
The statement reads in full
REPRESENTATION WITH EXPERIENCE, LEGISLATION WITH RESULTS: The Ikwuano/Umuahia Compact for 2027″
BY IKUKU 2027 MANDATE GROUP
1. THE VERDICT AFTER SCRUTINY
After a careful examination and scrutiny of all those aspiring to represent Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, and after weighing verifiable empirical indices of service, capacity, and character, one name stands clearly above the rest: Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji. He stands out as the most suitable because he has distinguished himself as a man of independent mind, tested experience, natural charisma, loyal followership, and above all, a human heart that beats for the people. In a race where many talk, he has a record to show.
2. THE MANDATE
We are presenting Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji to represent our Federal Constituency in 2027. This is not a campaign of noise. It is a campaign of structure, law, and delivery. Having served as Leader and Speaker at the subnational level, he understands how to turn the voice of the people into laws that actually work.
3. WHY EXPERIENCE MATTERS
As former Leader and Speaker, Chinedum presided over debates, passed budgets, and held the executive to account. That is the experience we are taking to Abuja: the skill to draft bills, build consensus across party lines, and ensure our constituency is not just present, but influential in the National Assembly.
4. SECURITY OF LIVES AND PROPERTY
For us, the first duty is safety. Chinedum will sponsor and support legislation to strengthen community policing, support local security architecture, and increase federal intervention against kidnapping and violent crime across Ikwuano and the two Umuahia LGAs. A safe constituency is a productive constituency.
5. THE ECONOMY AND COST OF LIVING
Food, transport, and power costs are biting our people. His focus will be on laws that reduce the cost of doing business for our traders in Umuahia markets, support SMEs with access to credit, and protect households through oversight of fuel subsidy reforms and electricity tariff structures. We are legislating relief, not just talking about it.
6. JOBS, YOUTH AND SKILLS
Youth unemployment is not a slogan to Chinedum. It is a policy problem. He will push for a Federal Constituency Skills and Entrepreneurship Act to link our young people to NDE, BOI, and digital job programs. Internships, vocational centers, and startup support will be tracked quarterly and reported back to the people.
7. EDUCATION AS A FOUNDATION
From primary schools in Ikwuano to tertiary access in Umuahia, education must work. He will advocate for increased UBEC and TETFund releases to our schools, sponsor bills for STEM (Science , Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and vocational education, and establish a transparent constituency scholarship and bursary scheme tied to merit and need.
8. HEALTHCARE THAT REACHES YOU
Our PHCs must have drugs, staff, and power. Chinedum will use legislative oversight to ensure NHIA ( National Health Insurance Authority) enrollment drives reach our wards, push for constituency health bills, and lobby for federal health infrastructure upgrades in our three LGAs. No mother should die giving life.
9. POWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH LAW
A legislator does not build a road, but he fights for it in the budget and monitors it. Chinedum will lobby for the inclusion of key Ikwuano-Umuahia roads, rural electrification, and water projects in federal budgets, and he will publish quarterly reports on what was approved and what was delivered. Oversight is his promise.
10. AGRICULTURE AND MARKET ACCESS
Ikwuano’s farmland and Umuahia’s markets are economic engines. He will support legislation for agro-processing, storage facilities, and easier access to federal agricultural grants. We will connect farmers to markets and reduce post-harvest losses through policy, not promises.
11. GOOD GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENCY
Having been Speaker, Chinedum knows how budgets are padded and projects disappear. He will run an open office: annual scorecards, town halls in all three LGAs, and a public tracker for all constituency interventions. The people must see where the money goes.
12. WOMEN AND INCLUSION
Legislation must reflect everyone. He will champion bills that support women in business, protect girls’ education, and ensure 35% inclusion of women and PWDs in constituency appointments and programs. Representation without inclusion is incomplete.
13. FEDERAL PRESENCE FOR OUR CONSTITUENCY
We deserve more federal projects and institutions. Chinedum will use his legislative relationships to attract agencies, training centers, and intervention programs to Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South. Our size and capital city status must translate to federal advantage.
14. CAMPAIGNS, NOT JUST SLOGANS
Let’s be clear: electioneering is more than chants. This campaign will be built on ward-to-ward engagement, policy town halls, and data-driven voter outreach. Yes, we will have a message you can remember. But behind every slogan will be a bill number, a budget line, and a plan. Sloganeering gets attention. Campaigning gets results. And with Chinedum, you get both.
15. THE COMPACT
This is our contract with you: Legislation that protects. Oversight that delivers. Representation that is accessible. In 2027, vote for experience that has led, and leadership that will legislate.
“Ikwuano/Umuahia First. Experience That Works.”
Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, Member representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as “responsive leadership” following the Federal Government’s decision to accelerate implementation of the 2026 budget.
Speaking on Magic FM, Aba, on Thursday, Ikwechegh said the renewed push to release funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies demonstrated that the President listens to the legislature.
“Mr. President has shown he is a listening President who has the interest of the nation at heart. He did not see our concerns as opposition. He saw them as part of our job to ensure Nigerians get value for money,” the lawmaker stated.
Ikwechegh had earlier drawn national attention after raising a motion on the floor of the House over delays in budget releases despite appropriations passed by the National Assembly. The intervention sparked debate among lawmakers over the slow pace of capital project execution.
The Federal Government has since announced measures to fast-track releases under the 2026 Appropriation Act, which provides for an aggregate expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion, with ₦32.2 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure.
According to Ikwechegh, legislative oversight is most effective when it produces concrete results.
“Our job is to speak firmly when policies are not working, and to also acknowledge when government takes corrective action. That is how the executive and legislature serve the people together,” he said.
The Abia lawmaker stressed that the real test of the budget lies in delivery — completed roads, functional hospitals, jobs for youths, and improved services across constituencies.
He expressed optimism that with improved coordination between the National Assembly and the Presidency, Nigerians will increasingly begin to feel the impact of the 2026 budget as implementation gathers momentum.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan was the front-runner after last month’s first informal vote, in which the council’s 15 members, including the five with veto power, pass judgment in secret on the candidates.
Argentina’s Rafael Grossi — the current head of the UN nuclear watchdog — is also a candidate along with Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Uganda’s Olara Otunnu and Senegal’s Macky Sall.
After the first round concluded, Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki threw her hat into the race to succeed Antonio Guterres, who will complete his second five-year term on December 31, 2026.
“While the first straw poll set the scene for the Secretary-General race, the second may give us some direction about where it is headed,” said the International Crisis Group’s Daniel Forti.
“Diplomats expect fluctuations in the vote distribution compared to the July poll. Most will be watching to see whether the early front-runners consolidate their support or slip in the standings.
“It is unlikely that any candidate will emerge from (Friday’s) poll with a decisive lead.”
Forti said the veto-wielding nations — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — might wait until later to express their preferences, while new contenders could emerge.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said Thursday he could not rule out that possibility.
“If, for example — I’m speculating now — if there is a deadlock on any of the candidates we are seeing today, if nobody… flies, then I think that we may see other candidates as well,” Nebenzia said.
Even if a candidate earns the required nine votes from the 15 available in the Security Council, they must also avoid a veto by the five major powers, which are deeply divided.
Once a candidate clears those bars, their name will go to the General Assembly of all UN members for confirmation.
The Security Council straw poll was devised in the early 1980s in an attempt to break a deadlock between two candidates shut down by vetoes.
The informal mechanism has persisted, in various forms, despite criticism from countries opposed to the opaque process.
“There is a good chance that some nominees realise after (Friday’s) vote that their campaigns have reached the end of the road,” Forti added.
Each member state must anonymously assign each candidate one of three labels: “encourage,” “discourage,” or “no opinion.”
That would give those with no support the opportunity to withdraw — though they are not obliged.
In the first rounds of the process expected to take several weeks, all ballots are the same colour.
But after an unspecified number of votes, the ballots of the five permanent members will become a different colour from those of the elected members, making it possible to identify potential vetoes, without knowing which country blackballed any given candidate.
It is tradition that the UN’s top job should rotate between different regions.
Under that premise, the role should go to a candidate from Latin America this time. There are many candidates from the region, though Sall and Otunnu hail from Africa.
The civilian-contracted plane crashed at the airport of the long-range radar site in Cape Newenham, on the state’s southwestern tip, the Alaskan Command said in a statement.
Rescuers who landed near the crash site “confirmed there were no survivors,” it said.
The statement did not say what those onboard were doing at the radar site, which tracks aircraft operating in Alaskan airspace.
“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” said Alaskan Command chief Robert Davis.
“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” Lieutenant General Davis added.
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has admitted Enugu Air as Member, extending the Association’s membership base in Nigeria’s fast-growing domestic aviation market and reaffirming AFRAA’s commitment to supporting the continued development of African carriers across the continent.
This was announced by AFRAA in Nairobi on Wednesday, making Enugu Air the 50th Member of the association, joining the AFRAA airline fraternity, collectively representing more than 85 per cent of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
Speaking on the development on Thursday, AFRAA Secretary General, Mr Abdérahmane Berthé, said, “We are delighted to welcome Enugu Air into the AFRAA fraternity.
“As a state-backed carrier serving Nigeria’s rapidly expanding domestic market, Enugu Air represents the kind of homegrown investment that is vital to building resilient air connectivity across our continent.
“We look forward to supporting the airline through the IOSA certification process and to its continued growth within the AFRAA membership, as we work together to advance the cause of unified African skies.”
Reacting to the development on Thursday, the CEO of Enugu Air, Capt Tolu Ita, described the admission into AFRAA as a major milestone in the airline’s short history.
“We are honoured to join the AFRAA fraternity. This membership underscores Enugu Air’s commitment to safe, reliable, and affordable air travel for Nigerians while contributing to the vision of a unified African aviation market.
“We look forward to collaborating with fellow AFRAA members and leveraging the association’s support as we grow our network and pursue IOSA certification,” Tolu stated.
Founded on July 7, 2025, Enugu Air commenced commercial operations with a fleet of Embraer E170/E190/E195 aircraft.
The airline, which has its headquarters in Enugu and operates from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, currently serves nine domestic destinations including Enugu, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Benin City.
As part of the airline’s growth strategy, Enugu Air plans to expand further across Nigeria and, in subsequent phases, to launch regional and international routes across Africa, Europe, and beyond.
As part of its growth strategy, Enugu Air plans to expand further across Nigeria and, in subsequent phases, to launch regional and international routes across Africa, Europe, and beyond.
The admission of Enugu Air aligns with AFRAA’s strategic priorities and strengthens the voice of the association. Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and one of its fastest-growing economies, remains central to the realization of a truly integrated African aviation market.
Meanwhile, AFRAA association, which was founded in Accra, Ghana, in April 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, has a mission meant to promote, serve African Airlines and champion Africa’s aviation industry.
The association envisions a sustainable, interconnected and affordable air transport industry in Africa, where African airlines become key players and drivers of African economic development.
AFRAA membership cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators.
The association’s members represent over 85 per cent of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
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