A joint press conference addressed on Tuesday in Abuja by the leadership of Bloggers and Vloggers, Content Creators Association of Nigeria (BAVCCA) and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON).
Bloggers and Vloggers, Content Creators Association of Nigeria (BAVCCA) and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON)—have issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to what they described as “economic saboteurs” undermining the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s energy independence.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the presidents of the two bodies, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere of BAVCCA and Hussaini Abubakar of COCSON, accused a powerful cartel of fuel importers and their allies within government of deliberately working against Nigeria’s new refining capacity.
They declared that “the Dangote Refinery is a national asset – hands off our energy independence.”
“Nigeria has achieved full energy independence”
The groups insisted that, contrary to claims circulating in parts of the oil and gas industry, the refinery is meeting and even surpassing national demand.
According to the statement, “as of today, 18th November, 2025, the Dangote Refinery is loading and dispatching more than 104 million litres of refined petroleum products daily,” including PMS, jet fuel and diesel. They noted that this figure “exceeds Nigeria’s total national daily consumption of approximately 70–75 million litres.”
They dismissed recent comments credited to PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo, saying:
“This is simply not true… the Dangote Refinery’s production is at 100% or more of Nigeria’s requirements.”
Import duty suspension described as “sabotage”
The groups condemned the federal government’s suspension of the recently introduced 15% import duty on petroleum products, calling it a direct attack on local refining.
“This is not policy, this is sabotage disguised as relief,” the statement read. They argued that the suspension “effectively makes imported fuel cheaper than locally refined fuel,” thereby placing Dangote Refinery and modular refineries at a disadvantage.
They asked pointedly: • “Why are importers still bringing in hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes… when Dangote alone is producing surplus?”
- “Who benefits when the government quietly removes a policy that was designed to protect local refining capacity?”
- “Why are we subsidizing foreign refineries… when our own refinery is begging to supply the entire nation at a lower cost?”
The groups claimed a “powerful cartel of fuel importers, oil trading cabals, and their collaborators inside and outside government” were determined to sustain a multibillion-naira racket.
The Ultimatum
BAVCCA and COCSON issued a seven-day deadline to those they accuse of sponsoring anti-Dangote narratives.
They demanded that all “negative propaganda, false data dissemination, and sponsorship of anti-Dangote Refinery narratives” cease immediately, warning that continued lobbying for fuel importation will no longer be tolerated.
They declared: “Hands off our national asset!”
If the saboteurs fail to comply by 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the groups promised to start a “phased naming and shaming campaign” at their National Summit on November 22.
“We will release names, photographs, companies, bank records where necessary, and documented evidence… no matter how highly placed,” they vowed.
Calls for presidential intervention
The groups said petitions had already been submitted to the Presidency, EFCC, ICPC, DSS, and National Assembly.
“For those of you hiding inside government circles,” they added, “know this: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu… has zero tolerance for corruption and sabotage.”
They urged the President to immediately ban fuel importation outright, permit only locally refined products to be sold in Nigeria, and set up a special task force to investigate and prosecute economic saboteurs.”
“The Dangote Refinery is not Aliko Dangote’s personal property, it is a national asset. We, the people, will defend it with everything we have,” they stated.
“The battle for affordable fuel, stable economy, and true independence has entered its final stage… We will not relent. We will not surrender. We will win.”
Upcoming Energy Truth Summit
The joint press statement also highlighted the upcoming Energy Truth Summit scheduled for November 22 in Abuja. They said the event is aimed at exposing the “wrath in the oil sector” and why some importers are allegedly trying to “strangulate local refiners.”
The summit is expected to feature data presentations, a fact-checking app launch, a digital toolkit for creators, and an interactive town hall. The organisers project over one million virtual participants.
