Ken Okeke
A concerned group of Nigerian Professionals are calling for effective measures to curb importation of offspec petrol into the country.
The group known as Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe, ANPE, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently halt the influx of tainted petroleum products, widely known as fake fuel, into Nigeria.
The ANPE urged the President to investigate the illegal trade that endangers the nation and its people.
Despite Nigeria’s status as a leading oil producer, the country remains reliant on imported refined products due to the non-operational state of its refineries in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt, despite billions of dollars in government investment.
This reliance has left over 150 million Nigerians vulnerable to imported substandard fuel.
The Association highlighted allegations that local oil cabals frustrate efforts of the sole viable local refinery, Dangote, while allegedly pushing off-spec and adulterated products into the country a matter currently under investigation by the National Assembly Joint Committee.
Its global president, Solomon Ola, said the group expressed concern about the recent trend of these products entering Nigeria, warning of the potential health and economic risks.
“The importation of sanctioned tainted fuel into Nigeria could have severe diplomatic implications, especially considering sanctions imposed by the Price Cap Coalition, which includes the European Union, United States, G7, and Australia,” he said.
The coalition’s sanctions, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, restrict transactions involving Russian crude oil above a set price cap—a restriction the Russian-origin fuel imported into Nigeria frequently violates.
The Association stressed the environmental and health risks posed by these adulterated products, cautioning that “dirty fuel” could damage vehicles and machinery, while harmful emissions could strain the public healthcare system.
ANPE condemned the economic damage caused by the importation of overpriced and substandard fuel, urging President Tinubu to prevent Nigeria from becoming a “dumping ground” for foreign-sourced, adulterated petroleum products.
“This insistence on importing bad fuel undermines Nigeria’s economic policies and sabotages local development,” ANPE stated.
Highlighting the role of European companies that market these tainted products, ANPE warned that Nigeria has become a primary target for fuel exports rejected by other African nations, including Ghana, South Africa, and Angola. They allege that local collaborators are complicit, prioritising profits over public safety.
The ANPE has urged President Tinubu to instruct relevant authorities to investigate this illegal trade, safeguard the health and economic well-being of Nigerians, and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.