Youth leaders from northern and south-eastern Nigeria have called for an end to what they describe as unfounded attacks on the Dangote Refinery, following claims that the facility imported petrol with high sulphur content.

In a joint statement, the Arewa Consultative Youth Forum, led by Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, and the Ohanaeze Youth Movement, led by Anderson Achilike, said Nigeria cannot continue to rely on fuel imports and that local refineries such as Dangote’s should be supported rather than criticised.

“We have noticed with utter dismay the renewed campaign of calumny against the Dangote Refinery by enemies of the nation, in order to cast aspersions on the top local refinery which is revolutionising Nigeria’s energy sector,” the statement read.

The youths specifically addressed reports alleging that the refinery imported finished Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with sulphur levels exceeding national limits. They cited an independent investigation by the UK-based energy watchdog, Impact Investigators Platform (IIP), which examined shipping data, customs declarations, and refinery process documents.

According to Raymond Neil, lead investigator at IIP, “Our analysis confirms that the shipment being referenced was a blending component, not a finished petrol product. The claims of high-sulphur petrol imports are technically inaccurate, commercially implausible, and unsupported by verifiable evidence.”

The youth leaders argued that such misinformation undermines efforts to strengthen domestic energy production. “With this global confirmation, we call on those detractors and enemies of our collective progress to desist forthwith from acts that sabotage Dangote, because we will not sit and watch them destroy what is in our country’s interest,” the statement added.

Since its inauguration, the Dangote Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has contributed significantly to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel, according to the statement, making its protection a matter of national interest.