Think tank calls on NMDPRA, NUPRC chiefs to back domestic capacity, boost production and cut import dependence
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has urged the newly appointed heads of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies to place domestic refining at the centre of sector policy, warning that continued reliance on imported petroleum products undermines energy security and economic stability.
In a statement made available to Journalists, CPPE called on the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, to make local refining a non-negotiable priority.
The call follows the assumption of office by Mohammed after the resignation of Ahmed Farouk, and Eyesan’s takeover from Gbenga Komolafe, who stepped down last week.
End Unequal Treatment Between Imports and Local Products — CPPE
CPPE said government policy must deliberately favour locally refined petroleum products through clear fiscal, regulatory, and infrastructural support, covering both public and private refineries while also encouraging new refining investments.
The organisation argued that Nigeria must correct what it described as a distorted market structure in which imported petroleum products compete with locally refined products under unequal conditions.
“True competition can only exist when all market participants operate under the same fiscal, tax, and regulatory framework,” CPPE stated, adding that domestic refining is critical to job creation, foreign exchange conservation, macroeconomic stability, and the development of export-oriented refining capacity.
The group said the NMDPRA must align its policies with the President’s Nigeria-First agenda, stressing that prioritising domestic refining is essential to protecting the country’s long-term economic interests rather than merely shielding private investors.
Upstream Focus: Push Output to Two Million Barrels Per Day
On the upstream side, CPPE urged the NUPRC to intensify efforts to grow crude oil and gas production by creating an investment-friendly environment across onshore and offshore assets.
According to the organisation, Nigeria must extract maximum value from its hydrocarbon resources as the global energy transition accelerates.
CPPE recommended that the regulator set a clear national objective of raising crude oil production to at least two million barrels per day, while also expanding gas investments and enforcing domestic crude supply obligations to local refineries.
Resetting the Petroleum Regulatory Framework
CPPE commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing new leadership at both regulatory bodies, describing the move as an opportunity to reset Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory architecture.
The group said the appointments provide a chance to reposition the sector around energy sovereignty, security, self-reliance, and accelerated production growth.
According to CPPE, the new leadership must urgently refocus regulatory priorities toward reducing import dependence, expanding domestic capacity, and unlocking investment across the oil and gas value chain.
Backdrop of Downstream Sector Controversy
The policy call comes amid ongoing controversy in the downstream sector. Earlier this month, Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote accused the NMDPRA of publishing figures that allegedly failed to reflect the full output of the Lekki refinery, claiming the reports only captured products evacuated, not those held in stock.
Dangote also accused former NMDPRA chief Ahmed Farouk of undermining domestic refining by issuing import licences and allegedly colluding with international oil traders. Farouk has since resigned from office.
CPPE concluded that Nigeria’s oil and gas sector can only deliver sustainable growth, industrialisation, and long-term economic resilience if the new regulatory leadership firmly anchors its agenda on domestic refining, production growth, investment facilitation, and national energy security.
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