By: Ahmed Rufa’i
Northern industrialists have voiced strong concerns over the Federal Government’s withdrawal of the proposed 15 percent import duty on refined petroleum products, warning that the move could undermine Nigeria’s push for self-sufficiency in fuel production.
Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Nasarawa Chapter, Manasseh Sambo, said the reversal threatens investor confidence and weakens efforts to build a competitive domestic refining industry.
He stressed that the duty was a strategic tool designed to shift Nigeria from fuel import dependence to home-grown refining capacity.
According to NASSI, suspending the tariff at this critical stage could jeopardize billions of dollars already invested in refining and petrochemical projects, while also slowing naira recovery and limiting growth in manufacturing value chains.
Sambo urged the government to maintain a consistent long-term refining policy, provide stronger incentives for local refiners, consider phased tariffs that balance consumer needs, and introduce targeted energy-support schemes for small industries.
Supporting the concerns, President of the Kano State Chamber of Commerce (KACCIMA), Amb. Hassan Usman Darma, warned that frequent policy reversals create uncertainty and discourage long-term investments.
He called for a balanced approach that protects domestic producers without neglecting consumers.Civil society group Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP) also criticized the government, describing the reversal as a setback to the Petroleum Industry Act’s goal of freeing the downstream sector from reliance on fuel imports. PANEP argued that Nigeria now has adequate capacity, insisting the Dangote Refinery can meet national demand and maintain up to 90 days of product reserves.
Earlier, the Kano–Jigawa branch chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Muhammad Bello Isyaku Umar, had praised the introduction of the duty, saying it would place the economy on a firmer, more sustainable path.
