Thousands of Nigerians marched through Kaduna on Monday to protest alleged efforts by a powerful oil cartel to undermine the Dangote Refinery and derail the nation’s economic recovery.
The demonstration, organized by the Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP), brought large crowds to major roads across the city, with protesters waving banners that read “Support Local Refining,” “End Fuel Import Monopoly,” and “Save Dangote Refinery.”
PANEP leaders, Igwe Ude-Umanta and Dahiru Maishanu, said the rally was part of a broader movement to expose groups they described as “economic saboteurs” intent on keeping Nigeria reliant on imported fuel.
Ude-Umanta told the crowd that the same interests responsible for the collapse of Nigeria’s public refineries and textile industries were now trying to frustrate the success of the Dangote Refinery.
“This fight is for Nigeria’s economic independence,” he said. “Those who destroyed our industries will not be allowed to destroy this refinery.”
The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who also heads the petroleum ministry, to ensure that local refiners get access to crude oil at the same price offered to foreign buyers. They argued that such a policy would strengthen investor confidence and help stabilize the domestic energy market.
Protesters also called for strict limits on fuel importation or the introduction of heavy tariffs to protect the country’s emerging refining sector.
Maishanu accused the cartel of deliberately restricting access to locally refined LPG and aviation fuel to maintain artificially high prices. “They’re putting profit before the people,” he said. “Local refining is already helping Nigerians through lower fuel costs.”
The rally ended with a call for the government to take decisive action against those allegedly working to destabilize local refining efforts. Demonstrators described the Dangote Refinery as a key driver of national growth and urged the president to defend it against “economic saboteurs.”
According to PANEP, similar protests are planned in other parts of the country to push for policies that protect homegrown industries and ensure Nigeria’s energy self-reliance.
