Plus Naija

Tag: Nigerians

  • JUST IN: Dangote Refinery Set To Release PMS For Sale

    JUST IN: Dangote Refinery Set To Release PMS For Sale

    After sixteen solid months of waiting, the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited has disclosed that its much awaited Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, is ready to be released for sale in the Nigerian energy market.

    It’s been over a year since its launch in May 2023, Dangote Refinery, as the company announced the roll out of the anticipated product from its $20 billion 650,000 barrels per day facility located along a vast expanse of land on the fringes of Ibeju-Lekki Community in Lagos State.

    This is even as the chairman of the company, Aliko Dangote declared that “it is celebration day” for Nigerians since the country has been suffering artificial scarcity of the product in the last couple of weeks.

    Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 during which he revealed the roll out plan, he said the quality of the product from the refinery matches that of other refining facilities anywhere around the world.

    His words: “We are now going to have good petrol while the engines of your vehicles will last longer. You will not be having engine issues, which a lot of us were having. It won’t happen at all.

    “The quality of our product here matches the quality of PMS anywhere in the world, even that of the United States of America, we will make sure that nobody will beat us in terms of quality.

    Dangote told journalists that as soon as the company finalizes all the modalities with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the product will be released into the market.

    “As soon as we finalize with the NNPCL, our product will start going into the market. We will help to restore production and confidence in industry and manufacturing sectors.

    “We will also begin real import substitution, which is what we have, you know, saving and earning foreign exchange, which will stabilize the naira and it will also help reduce inflation and cost of living for all Nigerians, irrespective of their social and financial status,” he said.

    Analysts expressed the hope that with the development, Nigerians will be spared the agony of having to cue for several hours before they buy the product anywhere across the country, adding: “It is unthinkable that a country so blessed with abundant crude oil and natural gas should be made to pass through the excruciating experience Nigerians are being made to pass through intermittently.”

  • Customs’ Operation Whirlwind Hits Hard on Petrol Smugglers as Operatives Make Significant Seizures

    Customs’ Operation Whirlwind Hits Hard on Petrol Smugglers as Operatives Make Significant Seizures

    Barely two weeks after Nigeria Customs Service launched “Operation Whirlwind” – a decisive onslaught against illegal trade of petroleum products across Nigeria’s borders, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi, says the Service has started recording massive turnout in curtailing the menace of PMS smuggling across the federation.

    Addressing newsmen on Monday, 10 June 2024, in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, the CGC re-emphasised strategic efforts to address the critical issue of fuel smuggling, Stating that the exercise aimed at curtailing economic saboteurs has the solid support of the Office of the National Security Adviser.

    He said the Service had, in response to the alarming increase in fuel smuggling, launched the initiative to defend the National currency, reduce pressures that may be attributed to the activities of smugglers and dismantle their cartels within the ecosystem.

    “In the past 2 weeks we have received credible intelligence on the relative stability of the price of PMS around the Border States, this is easily attributed to disruptions in the operations of smugglers”, he said.

    According to him, the operatives attached to the initiative had, within 7 days of non-stop task, intercepted a total of 150,950 litres of PMS, valued at N105,965,391, at various locations nationwide, highlighting, “On Friday 31 May 2024. A total of 45,000 litres of PMS in a tanker was seized at Mubi, Adamawa State.

    “On Saturday, 1 June 2024, a total of 45,000 litres of PMS in a tanker was also seized at Mubi, Adamawa, while between Monday, 3 June 2024, and Friday, 7 June 2024, a total of 92,928 litres of PMS in 25 litres of different sizes of jerry cans at Mubi, Song-Wuroboki, Mubi-Sahuda road and Gidan Madara – Sahuda road, in Adamawa state and others in Illela, Sokoto and Agbaragba creek in Mfum border of Cross River State”.

    The CGC further stated that the Service has also recorded significant seizures of 129,185 litres of PMS from unpatriotic individuals attempting to deprive Nigerians of access to fuel and cause unnecessary hardship valued at N90,558,685, adding “A combined diversion of 280,135 litres of PMS of N196,524,075.50 raises serious economic concerns with broader implications on National Security.”

    The CG lamented the unfortunate increase in smuggling of PMS across Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Taraba, and Katsina states borders between April and May 2024, and the Service deemed it necessary to collaborate with the NSA to come up with a lasting solution to ensure that Nigerians enjoy the full benefits of fuel price deregulation in line with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “Between April and May 2024, Borno and Kebbi States recorded 76% and 59% increases in evacuations, ranking among the top three states. On a year-on-year basis (May 2023 and May 2024), Sokoto and Taraba States recorded the most substantial increases in evacuations, with 247% and 234% increases, respectively”, he added.