Industrial oil refinery in Nigeria with large pipes and smokestacks, highlighting energy sector activity.
For the second consecutive month, Nigerian regulators have suspended gasoline import licenses, enforcing a Petroleum Industry Act provision that only permits imports when domestic supply falls short. With the Dangote Refinery supplying over 36 million liters of petrol daily in February, authorities ruled local output sufficient. The policy shift marks a significant victory for the refinery, which last year sued to halt imports it argued were undermining local producers. The timing is sensitive, however—pump prices have surged more than 54% following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, adding pressure to an already strained energy market. Nevertheless, industry experts see this as a major step toward protecting domestic production and sustaining local refineries’ growth.
CNBC Africa