The Nigeria Coalition Group and the Yoruba Council Worldwide on Tuesday staged a solidarity protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly in support of the Dangote Refinery and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Leading the protest, the President of the Nigeria Coalition Group and Yoruba Council Worldwide, Aare Oladotun Hassan, said the demonstration was organized to show solidarity with Dangote Refinery and to demand key policy actions from the federal government.
Hassan called for the immediate implementation of a 15% import duty tariff and a total ban on the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), urging the government to fully support local refining capacity.
“We have learned that DAPPMAN (Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria) is lobbying for an extension of the current import window until the end of the first quarter of 2026. We reject this and demand that the government prioritize local refining,” Hassan stated.
He also called for the allocation of 100% crude oil exploration access to the Dangote Refinery, describing it as a necessary step to ensure energy sufficiency and economic stability.
The group criticized the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), led by Comrade Festus Osifo, accusing the union of attempting to sabotage the Dangote Refinery through what they described as “premeditated and deceitful actions, unfounded allegations, and malicious narratives.”
During the protest, the demonstrators were received by Hon. Noheem Adams, the lawmaker representing Ibeju-Lekki, and the Clerk of the House, who commended them for conducting a peaceful protest. The officials assured the protesters that their message would be conveyed to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, and that they would receive a formal response in due course.
The peaceful protest drew attention to the growing public interest in the operations of the Dangote Refinery and the government’s policies on local refining, energy independence, and economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
