- The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to prioritize local refineries by ensuring they receive 100 per cent of their required crude oil feedstock.
- MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, expressed concern that the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery is currently receiving only about 32 per cent of its required crude, forcing it to rely on expensive middlemen.
- The group also lauded the recent suspension of petrol imports by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), describing it as a nationalistic step toward self-sufficiency.
The push for Nigeria’s energy independence gained fresh momentum on Friday, March 13, 2026, as the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to issue an executive order guaranteeing full crude oil supply to domestic refineries.
Eko Hot Blog reports that this follows the decision by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to halt the issuance of petrol import licenses, citing a sufficient boost in local production to meet national demand.
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In a strongly worded statement, MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, hailed the suspension of imports as a “forthright and nationalistic” move that provides necessary “oxygen” to local production.
However, he warned that the policy’s success hinges on the government’s ability to supply local facilities with the raw materials they need to operate at peak capacity.
Akintola specifically highlighted the plight of the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, which he noted is currently operating far below its potential due to a lack of direct crude supply.
“It stands logic on its head if, in spite of decades of suffering from fuel scarcity, a refinery like Dangote emerges but still cannot get a 100 per cent crude oil supply,” Akintola stated.
He described reports of the facility receiving only 28 to 32 per cent of its required crude as “disturbing and nauseating.”
He argued that forcing local refineries to purchase over 70 per cent of their crude from international traders and middlemen creates unnecessary overhead costs that are ultimately passed down to the Nigerian consumer.
The NMDPRA Chief Executive, Saidu Mohammed, corroborated the shift in policy, confirming that no new import licenses were issued this year.
Speaking during a visit from PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Mohammed warned that certain “vested interests” are still lobbying for a return to heavy importation.
He maintained that sustaining the gains in domestic refining is the only way to shield the country from the volatility of the global oil market and the recurring cycle of fuel scarcity.
MURIC also pointed to the government’s distribution of 100,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kits as a positive step in mitigating high transport costs.
However, Akintola insisted that the ultimate solution to the energy crisis lies in an executive order that makes 100 per cent local crude supply a “cardinal policy.”
He concluded that such a move would not only stabilize fuel prices but also cement President Tinubu’s legacy as the leader who finally broke the back of Nigeria’s dependence on foreign fuel.
