The Federal Government announced on Monday that six new companies have been granted permission to import petroleum products into Nigeria.
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Farouk Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA), made this announcement at the Presidential Villa.
Ahmed clarified that in addition to the six approved companies, several others have applied for permits to import petroleum in the near future.
Ahmed also refuted claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had given approval to the Dangote Group to import petroleum.
He stated that the NNPCL does not have the authority to grant such approval.
Ahmed further emphasized that any company interested in importing petroleum can apply for a permit and gain access to the port, as the authority is open to all.
Ahmed said, “As of this morning, six companies have expressed interest in importing fuel in July. Others may import in December or November, or anytime. The fact that there are multiple interests indicates that these companies have secured foreign exchange to facilitate importing.”
He assured that the NNPC has a 30-day fuel supply, so there will be no shortage or distribution gaps.
In the meantime, President Bola Tinubu has taken measures to prevent ship owners from withdrawing their vessels due to excessive back charges.
Zacchaeus Adedeji, the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, led government officials in an interactive session with shipping stakeholders at the State House. Adedeji warned that Nigeria cannot afford to have vessels refrain from entering or leaving the country.
Recent reports suggested that at least two ship owners decided to keep their vessels away from Nigeria due to multimillion-dollar tax bills seeking to recover unpaid duties from 2010 to 2019. After the meeting, Adedeji assured the oil and gas sector that an agreement had been reached to prevent vessel withdrawal and maintain the uninterrupted flow of products. He stated that a technical committee has been established to address the contentious issues.
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