The Nigerian Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to end the importation of crude oil for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and prioritise selling the commodity to the facility in naira.

Speaking during a tour of the refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos State chapter, Funmi Sessi, praised the massive scale and strategic significance of the Dangote Group’s investments, stating that the projects are delivering tangible benefits to the Nigerian people.

The PUNCH reports that the Dangote refinery now depends on the United States for about 60 per cent of its feedstock.

The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said up to 10 million barrels of crude oil were imported in July.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Dangote Group quoted the NLC as making a direct appeal to the FG to prioritise the sale of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery in naira.

The union argued that forcing the company to import crude or purchase locally in dollars undermines the promise of lower fuel prices for ordinary Nigerians.

“This country has crude oil in abundance. So why is Dangote still being made to import crude or pay for it in hard currency?” Sessi queried, adding that “if the government is truly committed to reducing fuel prices and supporting local refining, it must sell crude oil to Dangote in naira.”

The union stressed that sourcing crude locally in local currency would significantly lower operational costs and, by extension, lead to a more sustainable reduction in fuel prices.

The union acknowledged that following the Federal Government’s removal of petrol subsidies, Nigerians experienced an unprecedented surge in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit, saying, however, that the entrance of the Dangote refinery into the market helped to stabilise prices.

She stated, “It wasn’t until Dangote came into the picture that we started seeing some relief. His intervention significantly crashed the escalated prices of PMS and other refined products. That’s a clear demonstration of private sector leadership.

“With a daily capacity of 650,000 barrels, this refinery can serve Nigeria and even the West African sub-region. We also see big ships taking fertilizers to other countries.”

The NLC lauded Dangote for achieving a fully functional world-class refinery capable of meeting both domestic and regional demands for refined petroleum products.

“When government-owned refineries failed, one man stepped up. Aliko Dangote didn’t just make promises; he fulfilled them. He has proven that Nigeria can not only refine its own products but also meet international quality standards,” she added.

The union also hailed the refinery’s production of Euro 5-compliant fuel, which features significantly reduced sulphur content, aligning with international environmental standards and boosting Nigeria’s credibility in the global petroleum market.

“This is the kind of pride we want to see, a Nigerian company producing at global standards. It is changing the narrative and elevating Nigeria’s position globally. It’s time the government supports and maximises the capacity of this asset,” she stated.