Owners of petroleum products jetties, and tank farms have urged the federal government to cancel fresh approvals for petrol import licences, saying further issuance would
Speaking through their group, the Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JETFON), they distanced themselves from any planned suit by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Recall that Dangote Refinery had filed a fresh suit asking the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside the recent petrol import licences because they breached an earlier court order and legal limits on importation, the company said.
The refinery argued the Petroleum Industry Act allows imports only when local output is insufficient, and that continuing to grant permits undermines its commercial operations as it ramps up production.
Reacting to the Dangote suit, DAPPMAN said it would engage lawyers and relevant authorities to defend the licences and insisted that the market must remain competitive rather than be dominated by a single producer.
The marketers had also warned that retroactively voiding the permits would destabilise the downstream sector and harm businesses that invested heavily in storage, logistics and distribution based on existing approvals.
However, in a communique made available to Journalists through the executive secretary of JETFON, Olayiwola Temitope, the association noted that it does not hold the same position on the issuance of fresh import licences with the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).
Recall that the NMDPRA recently issued import licenses for over 600,000 metric tonnes.
While marketers have argued that import restrictions create a dangerous monopoly, the Tank Farm Owners insisted that local refining output can fully satisfy domestic demand, rendering foreign imports economically counterproductive considering the growing number of refineries in Nigeria.
The Tank Farm owners also called on the federal government and the NMDPRA to halt importation, cancel all active fuel import licences to safeguard the national economy and foster industrial growth.
They argued that continuously granting import permits undercuts domestic production and devalues massive local investments like the Dangote Refinery.
The Association further asserted that absolute reliance on local refining capacity is the ultimate path to true economic independence and energy security.
“Relying on foreign refined products leaves the local economy vulnerable to external supply chain shocks, international logistics disruptions, and continuous foreign exchange pressures that weaken the Naira.”
“By prioritizing local refineries, Nigeria can build a self-sustaining and secure domestic fuel supply ecosystem,” the statement read in part.
The Tank Farm Owners allude to the latest statistical April factsheet from the NMDPRA, which highlights a dynamic change in the nation’s supply-and-demand metrics.
According to the regulator’s data, Nigeria’s daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) surged significantly to 51.1 million litres per day in April 2026, marking a notable increase from the 47.3 million litres per day recorded in March.
Concurrently, the NMDPRA data reveals that actual fuel importation by marketers dropped sharply by 37.3 percent, falling to 3.7 million litres per day in April compared to the 5.9 million litres per day imported in March.
Domestic refining output, heavily led by the Dangote Refinery, displaced the largest portion of these foreign imports by supplying 40.7 million litres daily to the local market, demonstrating the capacity of local production to handle national consumption.
SOURCE: Leadership
