Nigeria's Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise has criticized the government over new petrol import licenses. The body says these licenses undermine Dangote Refinery's ability to supply the nation.
CPPE's chief executive made the statement public on Sunday. He expressed dismay at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority's recent decision.
Dangote Refinery has taken the matter to court. The facility, built to process 650,000 barrels daily, cited the Petroleum Industrial Act in its lawsuit.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited opposes Dangote's court action. NNPCL has sided with the government on the licensing issue.
Industrial players have responded sharply. Most have condemned both NNPCL and NMDPRA for their stance.
According to CPPE, no country builds wealth through imports alone. Prosperity comes from local production and refining capacity instead.
CPPE dismissed claims that Dangote poses a monopoly threat as "simplistic and fundamentally flawed." Such characterizations are deeply unfair to the refinery, the think tank argued.
Strong economies rely on manufacturing and value addition, CPPE noted. Building productive capacity at home matters more than anything else.
"Nigeria shouldn't punish bold investment and industrial courage," CPPE stated in its position paper. "Undermining transformative projects sends terrible signals to investors worldwide."
