ABUJA — The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has rejected a World Bank recommendation for the reintroduction of petroleum import licences, describing the proposal as contrary to Nigeria’s national economic interest and an unacceptable interference in the country’s sovereign petroleum policy.
The committee made its position known on Wednesday at the conclusion of a three-day retreat in Owerri. In a statement, the committee, chaired by Representative Ikenga Ugochinyere, characterised the World Bank report – the “Nigeria Development Update” dated April 7, 2026 – as “a reckless plot to kill indigenous refineries.”
The committee called for the sack and arrest of the official behind the report. It also urged security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), to investigate and arrest agents of foreign petroleum trading interests working against Nigeria’s domestic refining sector, including any World Bank officials found to be complicit.
The World Bank’s report had claimed that imports are 12 percent cheaper than products from the Dangote Refinery.
Declaring the World Bank official persona non grata, the committee gave the Bank 30 days to issue a public retraction and a written apology. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was advised to register Nigeria’s formal diplomatic protest.
Earlier, at the retreat’s opening session, Committee Chairman Ikenga Ugochinyere commended Alhaji Aliko Dangote, describing his refinery as “a national economic treasure that holds the key to Nigeria’s future energy security.”
However, he expressed concern over the persistent failure to ensure consistent crude oil feedstock supply to indigenous refineries – a failure the committee described not as a market problem but as a governance failure, which it intends to address through legislation.
The committee also commended the Joint Committee of the National Assembly for its decisions in support of the pipeline surveillance contract, noting that the alignment of both chambers on the security matter sends a powerful message to stakeholders.
According to the committee, the retreat recorded significant progress in advancing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) amendment agenda, with six legislative priorities now at an advanced drafting stage, including a new Crude Pricing Oversight and Revenue Protection Framework.
