The Yoruba Council Worldwide (YCW) has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling for the immediate suspension of petroleum products importation licences allegedly issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The letter, signed by the Council’s President, Aare Oladotun Hassan, warned that the continued issuance of such licences contravenes Section 317 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s energy security and economic stability.
In the strongly worded appeal, the Yoruba Council, in collaboration with several civil society groups, including the Nigeria Coalition Group, Nigeria Youth Coalition, and the Coalition of Southern Groups, urged the President to intervene and protect local investors, particularly Dangote Refinery, which they described as “a national treasure and the cornerstone of Nigeria’s energy independence.”
“Dangote Refinery has met the nation’s petroleum sufficiency requirements through a $20 billion investment that birthed Africa’s largest single-train refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, soon to expand to 1.4 million,” the statement read.
“Issuing new importation licences to oil cabals not only undermines this national asset but also contradicts Your Excellency’s Nigeria First policy,” it added.
The Council accused some oil unions and regulatory officials of orchestrating a “coordinated campaign” to sabotage the Dangote Refinery. It named Comrade Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN and NUPENG, along with others, alleging that they acted “in connivance with oil magnates and former NNPCL officials” to malign Alhaji Aliko Dangote and disrupt refinery operations.
The letter further called for a full-scale forensic investigation into the alleged economic sabotage, financial irregularities, and deliberate attempts to destabilize the refinery and the nation’s petroleum supply chain: “We call on the Presidency to order an immediate probe by the NSA, DSS, NFIU, and the Police into the activities of the key actors and their financial dealings,” the group demanded.
The Yoruba Council also lauded Alhaji Dangote for what it described as his “patriotic sacrifice” in injecting additional investments, reportedly over ₦2 trillion, for the acquisition of 10,000 tanker trucks to ease nationwide distribution of petroleum products.
The group compared the situation to U.S. trade policies under Donald Trump, urging President Tinubu to adopt similar protectionist measures to defend Nigeria’s local industries.
“Just as America protected its economy through high import tariffs, Nigeria must now ban petroleum importation to safeguard its energy sovereignty,” the statement argued.
Concluding its appeal, the Council announced a “Grand Solidarity Rally” in support of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, scheduled for Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at JJT Park, Alausa, Ikeja, by 11:00 a.m.
Participants are encouraged to attend in white tops and blue jeans, with the rally themed around unity, patriotism, and economic independence. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” the Council declared.
