Industrialists in Northern Nigeria have welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to impose a 15 per cent import duty on petroleum products, noting that the measure is a strategic move aimed at stimulating local production, enhancing value addition within the oil and gas sector, and creating a more competitive environment for Nigerian manufacturers.
Chairman of the Sharada-Challawa branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Kano, Muhammad Nura Madugu, stated this during the Association’s visit to the Dangote Group’s regional office in Abuja.
He said local manufacturers will continue to align with progressive government policies designed to stimulate industrial development, promote local content, and position Nigerian companies to compete effectively on the global stage.
Madugu explained that his members adopt a balanced approach in assessing government policies, weighing their potential benefits and challenges both to member industries and to the nation’s economic development.
According to him, there are numerous business opportunities arising from the various derivatives of crude oil refining by the company, adding that his members are eager to leverage the vast potential created by the Dangote Refinery.
Madugu said some of the key derivatives obtained from crude oil refining include petrol, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Others, he said, are naphtha, bitumen, lubricating oils, and fuel oil, as well as important petrochemical feedstocks such as linear alkylbenzene (LAB), ethylene, propylene, and butadiene, all of which serve as raw materials to produce plastics, detergents, synthetic fibres, and other industrial goods.
The courtesy visit followed the 2025 MAN Product Exhibition in Kano, a yearly event sponsored by Dangote Industries Limited. He lauded Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, for his rare faith and resilience in advancing the Nigerian project
The MAN team also presented Awards of Excellence to Aliko Dangote and to the Special Adviser on Strategic Relations and Projects to the Dangote Group President, Mrs Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman.
In her reaction, Mrs Wali-Abdurrahman expressed the company’s appreciation, adding that Dangote is passionate about supporting the government in growing and developing the Nigerian economy. She said the company remained committed to promoting locally made products and driving job creation across the country.
According to her: “We believe that strong linkages between the refinery and local manufacturers will stimulate the growth of ancillary industries, create new value chains, and enhance our collective capacity to meet both domestic and export demands.”
Dangote recently disclosed plans to expand the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), which is projected to generate approximately 65,000 jobs for Nigerians.
In a similar reaction, Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kano-Jigawa Branch, Muhammad Bello Isyaku Umar, lauded the introduction of the new import duty on petrol and diesel, describing it as a policy capable of placing the nation’s economy on a stronger and more sustainable footing.
He said: “It will reduce the country’s volume of importation and high demand for Foreign Exchange, and this will improve the value of our currency.”
Umar added, “The new policy will encourage more investment in the oil sector, especially in refining petroleum. It will also increase government revenue. If there is not enough local supply, the policy can lead to higher fuel prices, an increase in transportation and goods.”
President Bola Tinubu had approved a 15 per cent import tariff on petrol and diesel, describing the policy as a strategic step to stimulate local refining and strengthen Nigeria’s energy independence.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, on his official X handle, the new policy was “a bridge, not a burden”, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s petroleum landscape and securing long-term economic stability.
He noted that for years, Nigeria had depended on imported fuel despite being one of the world’s leading crude oil producers, a situation that drained foreign exchange, hindered job creation, and stifled local refining investments.
