In a strongly worded letter to President Bola Tinubu, the group expressed concerns that a powerful cabal—comprising petroleum importers and certain officials within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)—is allegedly working to obstruct the supply of crude oil to domestic refineries.

Alleged Economic Sabotage

The letter, co-signed by Chief Semiu Oriade (President) and Otunba Opeoluwa Ayeola (Secretary-General), cautioned that the alleged conspiracy could trigger a fresh fuel scarcity, soaring pump prices, and severe economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.

“We write not only as concerned citizens but as stakeholders committed to Nigeria’s progress. It has become glaring that certain vested interests within the NNPC are deliberately working against your administration’s successes by obstructing crude supply to local refineries,” the group stated.

AYRG warned that if left unchecked, this orchestrated disruption could reverse the economic gains recorded under President Tinubu’s leadership and drag Nigeria back into its dependency on fuel importation.

Tinubu’s Economic Reforms Under Threat

The youth group commended Tinubu’s bold economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies, which they described as a historic move that freed the country from the grip of corrupt oil cartels.

“Your decision to end the fraudulent subsidy regime liberated our economy from a system that funneled trillions of naira into private pockets while keeping Nigeria reliant on imported fuel,” the letter added.

However, they accused certain individuals within the NNPCL of working tirelessly to sabotage these reforms by crippling local refining efforts.

Call for Presidential Action

AYRG urged President Tinubu to launch a thorough investigation into the NNPCL’s activities and ensure that local refineries, including Dangote Refinery, receive an uninterrupted supply of crude oil.

This comes amid reports that the NNPCL plans to adjust crude allocations to Dangote Refinery following the resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which now have a combined refining capacity of 135,000 barrels per day.

Currently, under the naira-for-crude initiative, the NNPCL allocates 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Dangote Refinery.

Conclusion

The Afenifere Youth Renewal Group emphasized that Nigeria must not return to the era of excessive fuel importation, warning that powerful economic saboteurs are determined to undermine the country’s energy independence and economic progress.

They called on President Tinubu to stand firm against these vested interests and protect the nation’s refineries from deliberate obstruction.