FG Meets Local Refiners to Discuss Pricing, Criticizes Dangote

The Federal Government refuted claims made by an official of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery regarding the importation of dirty fuel into Nigeria.

 Following a meeting with oil marketers and local crude oil refiners in Abuja, the government clarified that there had been no importation of refined petroleum products with high-sulphur contents since February, and any previous issues had been addressed by the regulator.

The Executive Director of NMDPRA, Ogbugo Ukoha, emphasized that there was no dirty fuel being brought into Nigeria, countering the allegations made by the Dangote refinery official.

Additionally, oil marketers expressed their intention to continue patronizing various sources for refined products, including indigenous producers, despite the local production by refineries.

This statement came after the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited accused the NMDPRA of granting licenses indiscriminately for the importation of dirty refined products into the country.

The Managing Director of RainOil Ltd, Gabriel Ogbeche, stated that marketers have the freedom to obtain products from any source, but emphasized that they are still supporting local refiners. He mentioned the importance of maintaining a fair competition between marketers and refiners for the benefit of the industry.

Ogbeche mentioned that they currently have multiple options for sourcing products, including patronizing local refineries. He also noted ongoing discussions about obtaining products from other sources.

The Group Chief Commercial Officer of Dangote Group, Rabiu Umar, described the meeting as productive and expressed optimism that it will contribute to moving the industry in the right direction.

There have been recent concerns about oil marketers allegedly importing diesel into Nigeria instead of supporting the locally produced diesel from the $20bn Dangote refinery in Lagos.