Get Guardian on GoogleThere was tight security at the 7-UP Bus Stop in Lagos yesterday as students gathered to express support for the Dangote Refinery and commend President Bola Tinubu for approving a 15 per cent tariff on fuel imports.
The demonstrators, mostly students, wore white T-shirts with the inscription, “Stop Fuel Importation, Don’t Kill Dangote Refinery,” highlighting the importance of sustaining local refining.
On October 21, 2025, President Tinubu approved a 15 per cent duty on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of imported fuel, through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to align import costs with domestic realities.
Leading the rally, Senate President of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Oyewunmi Festus Ayodele, voiced concerns over alleged sabotage of the refinery.
He said: “We are here to show appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the 15 per cent tariff on fuel importation. This move will strengthen our local refinery, help Nigeria grow, and create job opportunities. We are calling for a total ban on fuel importation to ensure that local refineries thrive.
“We sponsored this rally because we are concerned about the economy. We are speaking for the voiceless. No one is bankrolling us; we are capable of speaking for ourselves, and our lovely president will hear us if we speak.”
Another student, Ayomide from the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igbo Ora, added: “Dangote loves Nigeria, and this is not about monopoly. He didn’t go to the UK, Canada or the US to build the refinery; he chose Nigeria, and that shows he loves the country.”
NAPS spokesperson, Bamidele Victor, said: “If the Dangote Refinery is obstructed, everyone will suffer for it, and we will continue to have fuel shortages. Nigerian students understand the importance of having a functioning refinery and must safeguard it.”
