The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to allow independent marketers to lift fuel from the Dangote refinery in Lagos State.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Oboku Oforji (PDP-Bayelsa) during plenary in Abuja on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

Oforji noted that though the Dangote refinery began operation on September 15, producing 650,000 barrels per day, only major marketers had been given access to lift fuel from the refinery by the NNPCL.

According to him, the House is worried that the NNPCL and the major marketers are exclusive off-takers which spell monopoly.

The lawmaker said: “This is the same NNPCL that has failed to manage our crude and refineries for decades.

“If this monopoly is not nipped in the bud, the suffering of Nigerians occasioned by the scarcity of fuel will continue and we all know the implications on the economy.”

Oforji said allowing the NNPCL and major marketers to lift fuel from the refinery to the exclusion of independent marketers was not good enough.

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He stated that the representatives of independent marketers under the aegis of IPMAN had expressed fear that members may be forced to resort to fuel imports to sustain their businesses.

The lawmaker commended the Dangote Group for commencing the refining of petroleum products, adding that with the feat, the journey to Nigeria’s energy self-sufficiency might have begun.

According to him, Nigeria is now driving towards energy self-sufficiency, cost savings, and foreign exchange savings, meeting the increasing demand for fuel and attracting foreign capital investment.

Oforji said: “The generation of foreign exchange through the export of finished products, conservation of foreign exchange, and huge value addition will contribute to an increase in Nigeria’s gross domestic product.

“With the high demand for fuel by Nigerians, NNPCL should allow independent marketers to lift the product from the Dangote refinery.

“If the prevailing monopoly is not nipped in the bud, the suffering of Nigerians occasioned by the scarcity of fuel will continue with disastrous consequences.”

Adopting the motion, the House urged the management of Dangote refinery to build, acquire, or partner with stakeholders to establish depots across the geopolitical zones in the country.

The Star