Nigeria’s House of Represen­tatives on Thursday urged the Federal Government to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote Refinery to permit inde­pendent marketers to begin lifting fuel from the newly established refinery.

It said this is to enhance fuel distribution and ensuring a more competitive market.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the adopted motion of urgent public importance, sponsored by Hon. Oboku Oforji, who represents the Yenagoa/ Opokuma Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State.

While leading the debate, Oforji highlighted that despite the commencement of opera­tions at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on September 15, 2024, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, only major marketers have been granted access by the NNPCL to lift products from the refinery.

According to him, “The House has expressed concern that the NNPC Limited (NNPCL) and ma­jor marketers, acting as exclusive off-takers, risk creating a monop­oly, one that breeds greed. This is the same NNPCL that has been unable to effectively manage our crude oil resources and refineries for decades.

“If this monopoly is not ad­dressed promptly, Nigerians will continue to suffer from the recur­ring scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), with far-reaching consequences for the economy.

“It is no surprise that the late MKO Abiola, of blessed memory, once lamented the lack of trans­parency and accountability within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as seen in a viral video some years ago.”

The House of Representatives has expressed concern over the NNPCL’s policy of allowing only its own officials and major market­ers to lift Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from refineries, while inde­pendent marketers are excluded from this process.

According to the lawmaker, representatives of the Indepen­dent Petroleum Marketers Asso­ciation of Nigeria (IPMAN) have voiced fears that if this situation persists, they may be left with no choice but to import fuel inde­pendently to sustain their opera­tions.

The lawmaker commended Dangote Group, the parent com­pany, for the successful commence­ment of its petroleum refining operations.

He emphasised that this mile­stone marks a significant step towards Nigeria’s journey to achieving energy self-sufficiency.

“The House acknowledges that with this achievement, Nigeria is on the path to energy indepen­dence, resulting in substantial cost savings and reduced reliance on foreign exchange. This will not only meet the growing demand for fuel but also attract foreign in­vestments. The export of refined products will generate foreign exchange, conserve reserves, and add significant value to the econo­my, ultimately contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s Gross Domes­tic Product (GDP),” the lawmaker noted.

“The House further note that given the high demand by mil­lions of Nigerians for PMS, and the ordeal they go through to get it, NNPCL should allow indepen­dent marketers to lift the product from the Dangote refinery,” he added.

If the prevailing monopoly is not nipped in the bud, Oforji not­ed that the suffering of Nigerians occasioned by the scarcity of PMS will continue with disastrous con­sequences for economy.

In the bid to address the con­cerns, the House urged the man­agement of Dangote Refinery to build, acquire or partner with stakeholders to get tank farms or depots across the geo-political zones in the country, to enhance petroleum availability to the peo­ple.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has inaugurat­ed a special panel, chaired by the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, to work alongside a joint Senate committee in addressing the on­going crisis in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

The committee is tasked with investigating the challenges af­fecting the sector and providing actionable recommendations for resolving the issues.

Other members of the com­mittee are Kelechi Nwogu (PDP, Rivers); Patrick Umoh (APC, Akwa Ibom), and Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), among others.