The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed has said billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote requested for total suspension of fuel importation into the country.

Mr Farouk who said this in a video issued by the State House media on Thursday, claimed that Dangote made the request to ensure that all oil marketers in the country would patronise only his refinery for fuel.

He further stated that the agency is unwilling to approve such a request in order to prevent a monopoly and due to concerns about the quality of the oil produced by the Lagos-based refinery.

He said, “Dangote is requesting that we suspend or stop importation, especially of AGO and DPK, and direct all marketers to his refinery.

“That is not good for the nation in terms of energy security, and it is not good for the market because of the monopoly.”

Farouk had described products from the Dangote refinery as inferior to imported ones.

He said Dangote Refinery was still in the pre-commissioning stage and had not been licensed yet. “We haven’t been licensed yet,” he added.

“I think we have about 45% completion. We cannot rely heavily on one refinery to feed the nation.”

He mentioned further that the products from Dangote Refinery cannot compete with the ones imported in regards to quality.

“Dangote Refinery, along with other major refineries, produces between six hundred and fifty to one thousand two hundred parts per million (PPM). Therefore, in terms of quality, their products are inferior to imported ones,” he added.