Saturday, May 9, 2026 -In a new policy shift, the Nigerian government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, 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).
The move is a policy shift from a focus on local refineries,
in this case the Dangote 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, totaling 720,000 MT of petrol imports.
Although the NMDPRA officially stated the reason for the
fresh licenses, Dangote Refinery has reiterated its capacity to meet local fuel
consumption demand. Infact NMDPRA’s recent industrial data showed that the
650,000-barrel-per-day refinery supplied 90 percent 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
Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA.
President Tinubu had sacked Saidu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA while he
was on official duty in Germany.
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