Reps Seek Consensus Over Fuel Imports, Local Refining

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has opened consultations with petroleum importers and domestic refiners to reconcile divergent positions on the future of fuel supply in Nigeria.

Lawmakers say the initiative is aimed at guaranteeing energy security, ensuring stable fuel availability, and building a competitive downstream sector.

Committee Chairman Ikenga Ugochinyere stressed that the House was committed to dialogue rather than confrontation.

“We are here not to interrogate, not to accuse and not to put anyone on trial. We are here to listen. We are here to talk to one another as partners who share one common destiny—a Nigeria where energy is affordable, supply is stable, and no citizen suffers because petroleum products are out of reach,” he said.

“The marketers, depot owners, independent operators and major marketers remain the bridge between government policy and the pump. When that bridge is strong, Nigerians enjoy stable prices and reliable supply. When it is weak, the entire nation feels the consequences,” he added.

Presenting the position of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Executive Secretary Olufemi Adewole urged regulators to develop practical operating-stock guidelines under Section 182 of the Petroleum Industry Act.

“Strategic petroleum reserves should not be assessed solely by the volume of products in storage but also by the industry’s ability to finance, transport and deploy those products rapidly during emergencies or supply disruptions,” he argued.

Adewole also called for a joint market-monitoring framework to ensure transparency and fair competition.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers…