In a new policy shift, the Nigerian government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), resumed issuance of petrol import licenses to petroleum marketers.
The licenses were issued to six petroleum marketers expected to import around 720,000 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol). According to reports, the move is a policy shift from a focus on local refineries, in this case the Ɗangote Refinery.
Beneficiaries are major oil marketers such as NIPCO, AA Rano, Matrix, Shafa, Pinnacle, and Bono. NIPCO is expected to import 120,000 metric tons; AA Rano, 150,000 MT; Matrix, 150,000 MT; Shafa, 120,000 MT; Pinnacle, 120,000 MT, and Bono, 60,000 MT, totalling 720,000 MT of petrol imports.
Although the NMDPRA officially stated the reason for the fresh licenses, Ɗangote Refinery has repeatedly reiterated its capacity to meet local fuel consumption demand. Even NMDPRA’s recent industrial data showed that the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery supplied 90% of the country’s daily consumption.
Meanwhile, NMDPRA’s recent decision toward petrol imports has stirred concerns among stakeholders. The development comes barely a week after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the NMDPRA Chief Executive Officer.
President Tinubu had sacked Sa’idu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA while he was on official duty in Germany.
Northern stakeholders back Tinubu reforms, seek continuity beyond 2027
Political leaders, academics, traditional rulers, youth groups and civil society organisations (CSOs) yesterday endorsed the continuation of the reforms being implemented by President Bola Tinubu, saying the policies require time to stabilise the economy and deliver long-term benefits to Nigerians.
The endorsement came during the ‘Northern Stakeholders Townhall Engagement’, organised by the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement at Arewa House, Kaduna.
The event, themed: ‘Critical Appraisal of Governance and Reforms Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the 2027 Question’, brought together government officials, development experts, economists, grassroots mobilisers and political stakeholders from across Northern Nigeria.
Representing the President, the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, described the Tinubu administration as bold and reform-oriented, insisting that the country had moved “from reforms to recovery”.
According to him, the administration took difficult but necessary decisions, including the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, to rescue the economy from collapse. “The reforms are difficult, but they are necessary to reposition the country and secure long-term economic stability”, Dare said.
He stated that the reforms had contributed to improved external reserves, increased allocations to states, stronger fiscal discipline and renewed investor confidence.
Dare acknowledged the hardship currently being experienced by Nigerians but urged citizens to remain patient with the administration. He said: “Meaningful reforms require sacrifice and patience. The results may not come overnight, but the foundation for long-term recovery has been laid”.
The Presidential aide also highlighted social intervention programmes introduced by the Federal Government, including the NELFUND student loan scheme, healthcare reforms, pension restructuring, salary adjustments and youth empowerment initiatives.
On infrastructure, Dare listed major ongoing projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, rail modernisation projects and airport upgrades. He maintained that the projects reflected a national development agenda rather than sectional interests. Dare further stated that reforms strengthening local government autonomy and increasing federal allocations were improving governance and service delivery at the grassroots.
Also speaking, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaƙi, said increased allocations from the Federal Government had enabled Governor Uba Sani’s administration to expand infrastructure and social intervention programmes across the state.
Maiyaƙi disclosed that Kaduna State had introduced over 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses providing free transportation services for students, civil servants and residents. He also cited reductions in tuition fees, accreditation of academic programmes, recruitment of health workers, pension payments and hospital renovations as part of the achievements recorded by the state government.
According to him, the administration had constructed over 150 roads across the 23 local government areas while supporting smallholder farmers through fertiliser distribution and agricultural interventions. Maiyaƙi attributed the gradual return of peace in previously troubled communities to deliberate governance strategies, early warning mechanisms and sustained engagement with stakeholders.
Panel discussions at the event featured academics, economists, youth representatives and development experts, many of whom expressed support for the continuation of the Tinubu and Uba Sani administrations. One of the panellists, Pharmacist Augustine Ajijelek, described his support for the administrations as a “capital Yes”, insisting that structural reforms require time before their full benefits can be realised.
The stakeholders concluded by calling for stronger collaboration between federal and state governments to sustain economic reforms, improve security and promote national development ahead of the 2027 elections.
