The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and over 75 civil society organizations under the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs) have slammed the National Assembly over what they described as “fundamental weakness and compromise” in overseeing Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.
The groups, in a joint press statement signed by Comrade James Ezema, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of CNPP, and Alhaji Ali Abacha, National Secretary of CNCSOs, said the ongoing rift between the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Dangote Refinery has exposed the failure of legislative oversight, enabling the continued importation of substandard fuels.
“The dispute is not merely a regulatory disagreement. It is a symptom of years of selective oversight, policy inconsistency and silent accommodation of vested import interests, which have collectively undermined fuel quality, consumer protection and Nigeria’s quest for energy self-reliance,” the statement read.
The CNPP and CNCSOs demanded that Nigeria fully enforces ECOWAS fuel quality standards, particularly sulphur limits, by January 1, 2026, without waivers or regulatory discretion. “The same level of regulatory scrutiny and National Assembly oversight applied to imported products must be extended to locally refined fuels,” they emphasized.
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The groups also warned against promoting or protecting Dangote Refinery as a monopoly, stressing that competition is essential in the downstream petroleum sector. “A fair and competitive market can only exist where quality standards are uniform and enforcement is consistent, regardless of whether products are imported or locally refined,” they said.
The National Assembly was urged to move from “hearings to consequences,” enforcing regulatory compliance through budgetary and legal consequences, publicly tracking fuel quality enforcement outcomes, and ensuring that January 1, 2026, marks the end of substandard fuels in Nigeria.
“The NMDPRA-Dangote dispute should serve as a turning point, not another missed opportunity. Nigeria must choose between a future of regulatory compromise and one of clear standards, firm enforcement and consumer protection,” the statement concluded.