The protesters, numbering in hundreds, marched through Abuja streets with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Support Dangote, End Fuel Monopoly,” “No to Cartel Exploitation,” and “DAPPMAN Must Not Hold Nigeria Hostage.”
The groups accused the marketers' association of orchestrating campaigns aimed at frustrating the operations of the multi-billion-dollar refinery, which has been hailed globally as a game-changer for Nigeria’s energy sector. They claimed that vested interests within the downstream sector are working to undermine local refining to sustain their profit-driven importation agenda.
One of the coalition leaders stated that the refinery represents hope for Nigeria’s quest to end decades of dependence on imported petroleum products. He described the facility as a national asset and criticized fuel importers for protecting their monopoly at the expense of ordinary Nigerians suffering from high pump prices.
The protesters delivered a petition to the National Assembly, demanding lawmakers intervene to protect the refinery from what they called economic sabotage. They also urged the regulatory authority to resist pressure from the marketers' group and implement policies that prioritize local refining.
At the regulatory agency’s headquarters, demonstrators called for sanctions against operators engaging in practices that undermine energy security, emphasizing that Nigerians should not remain at the mercy of import-driven price manipulations.
Another civil society leader highlighted the refinery’s potential to reduce petroleum product costs, create jobs, strengthen the naira, and guarantee fuel availability. She insisted that the marketers' association should not dictate the future of the economy and that the refinery must be allowed to thrive for the benefit of all Nigerians.
The protest ended peacefully, but organizers vowed to continue nationwide demonstrations if attempts to frustrate the refinery persist.
Observers note that the refinery, when fully operational, could save Nigeria billions of dollars in foreign exchange annually and drastically cut fuel importation—a prospect seen as a threat to entrenched interests in the petroleum importation chain.