The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has asked President Bola Tinubu to include refined petroleum products in the list of items banned under the ‘Nigeria First’ policy of the Federal Government. But this was unanimously rejected by oil marketers and some industry analysts on Sunday. 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.

Punch