By ‎Professor Ishaq Akintola‎

‎A rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has described the rationing of crude oil to local refineries as ridiculous. The group insists that local refineries should be supplied enough crude oil in order to facilitate a reduction in the price of fuel.

‎MURIC’s description came in a statement circulated to newsmen on Tuesday, 24th March, 2026. The statement was signed by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

‎He said:‎

‎”As war in the Middle East rages with the concomitant economic impact on people’s lives, Nigeria has found itself caught in the quagmire. The price of fuel has hit the roof, with some petrol stations selling as high as N1,400 per liter compared to the pre-war price of only N820.

“The question is why should fuel cost so much in Nigeria even if there is war in faraway Iran when we have crude oil and functional refineries? We were compelled to set the machinery in motion in a bid to find an answer to this vital question.

‎”Our findings reveal a paradoxical and totally baffling scenario. We discovered that the local refineries have been stinted of crude oil. The same crude oil that Nigeria has in excess is being rationed to our local refineries. This is ridiculous and unacceptable.

‎Exempli gratia, whereas Dangote Refinery needs an average of 19.77 million barrels per month, it receives a paltry percentage of what it requires for normal operation, e.g., October 2025: 4.55 million barrels; November 2025: 6.45 barrels; December 2025: 4.30 million barrels; January 2026: 5.65 million barrels; February 2026: 4.66 million barrels and 3.60 million barrels this March (up to 15th March 2026).

‎”This rationing system is inexplicable. Ceteris paribus, local refineries should be supplied enough crude oil in order to facilitate a reduction in the price of fuel. Why ration crude oil for local refineries when Nigeria has 37.28 billion barrels in reserve and is the largest oil producer in Africa?

‎”Samuel Taylor Coleridge may have visualized the Nigerian petroleum architecture when he wrote his 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, ‘Water, water everywhere but not any drop to drink.’

‎”This should not happen unless there is a force majeure compelling such rationing, though the government has not opened up on this. Or is it true that Nigeria’s crude oil has been sold upfront for several years by previous regimes? Have they mortgaged our future?

‎”How can a local refinery function at its maximum capacity in such a strangulating environment? How can our local refineries fulfill their obligation to Nigerians with this stifling stronghold? For example, Dangote Refinery now buys Nigerian crude oil through middlemen in London, Dubai, etc., at a higher price.

‎”No wonder, therefore, that the refinery has reportedly threatened to sell all its products outside the country.

‎”There is an urgent need to prevent this from happening and the only person who can do that is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This should not pose a challenge because the president is known for his bold approach to economic issues and this has been very effective in stopping the subsidy scam and stabilizing the naira.

‎”MURIC therefore appeals to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give marching orders to NMDPRA to supply all the crude oil needs of local refineries.

‎”Nigerians should not be made to go back to the dark days of importation of fuel at a time that European countries are turning to Dangote for their fuel needs.”

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).