The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has urgently appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put an immediate end to the importation of contaminated petroleum products, commonly referred to as fake fuel, entering Nigeria.
As President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Tinubu plays a significant role in managing Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and a key player in the global oil market.
Despite being a major oil-producing country, Nigeria continues to rely heavily on imported refined products, which are essential for over 150 million consumers. Unfortunately, the nation’s refineries—Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt—have remained largely inactive, despite substantial financial investments from the current administration.
In addition to claims of undermining the only operational local refinery, Dangote, there are also accusations against oil cartels for promoting the importation of substandard and adulterated fuel into the country. These allegations are currently under investigation by the National Assembly’s Joint Committee.
In a press release, the Global President of ANPE, Mr. Solomon Ola, expressed the organization’s deep concern regarding the recent influx of hazardous products into Nigeria’s market, which poses significant risks to public health and safety.
The group cautioned that importing sanctioned tainted petrol could lead to diplomatic ramifications, especially considering the sanctions imposed by the Price Cap Coalition, which includes the European Union, the United States, the G7, and Australia, on Russian crude and petroleum products.
The statement emphasized, “The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has been closely monitoring the developments in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, particularly the concerning arguments made by certain stakeholders regarding the safety and quality of the products being sold in the country.”
ANPE has thus called on President Bola Tinubu to use his authority as the nation’s leader to prevent Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for questionable, adulterated, and foreign-sourced petroleum products.
“We are disheartened and alarmed by the recent trends in Europe, where Nigeria has turned into a profitable destination for the disposal of contaminated petroleum products, particularly PMS, commonly known as petrol, which industry experts have labeled as fake fuel,” the statement concluded.
