Nigerians have expressed divergent views over the incessant loans taken by the federal government, which has bloated the country’s external debts.

It was reports that the Senate recently approved President Bola Tinubu’s external borrowing plan of over $21 billion for the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle, paving the way for the full implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act.

The comprehensive borrowing package includes $21.19bn, in direct foreign loans, €4bn, ¥15bn, a $65m grant and domestic borrowing through government bonds, totaling approximately N757bn.

Nigeria’s total public debt climbed to N144.67 trillion ($94.23 billion) as of December 31, 2024, reflecting a significant increase of 48.58% compared to N97.34 trillion ($108.23 billion) recorded at the end of December 2023.

This latest figure was disclosed by the Debt Management Office (DMO) in its report on the country’s public debt profile.

The report also indicated a quarter-on-quarter rise of 1.65% from the N142.32 trillion ($88.89 billion) recorded at the end of September 2024, highlighting the continued increase in the nation’s debt burden within the final quarter of the year.

Reacting, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, lamented what he described as the reckless borrowing by this regime without accountability.

“As our GDP before rebasing was about N269.2 trillion (about $180 billion), the government has borrowed the equivalent of nearly 70% of our previous GDP. 7.Even after the rebasing, which pushed our GDP to about N372.8 trillion (about $243.7 billion), the government would have borrowed about 50.16% of the new GDP (with the approved 8.loans), the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in our history as a nation,” he said.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, condemned the Tinubu administration over what it called fiscal vandalism, saying the president is borrowing far more than his predecessor, Late Muhammadu Buhari, and placing Nigeria on the edge of a financial disaster.

The newly formed opposition coalition said President Tinubu’s government has borrowed more in two years than Buhari did in eight, warning that the country’s total debt could hit ₦200 trillion before the end of 2025.

“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the Tinubu administration’s dangerous obsession with borrowing. What Nigerians are witnessing, following the approval of a fresh $21 billion in foreign loans, is nothing short of a calculated decision to mortgage the country’s future just to cover up the failures of today,” it said.

However, a financial expert and the Chief Executive Officer of SD & D Capital Management, Gbolade Idakolo, said it was not a bad idea for the government to take additional loan if it would be of immense benefit to the infrastructure development and to deepen the country’s economic aspiration.

He, however, decried that sometimes the loans that were taken by previous administrations were not directly applied to what could bring return for the repayment of those loans, adding that when a project is executed at very exorbitant cost, it does not have the means to be able to repay itself based on the way it was applied.

Idakolo expressed the belief that the National Assembly must have done a thorough review of the usage of the additional loan and the viability of the projects to repay the loan.

The financial expert urged the current administration not to tow the path of its predecessors that put infrastructure development at the expense of the government looking for revenue to repay loans.

“I am not against the government taking additional loans if it is going to be of immense benefit to infrastructure development and to be able to deepen our economic aspirations.

“For us to be viable economically, we need to improve on infrastructure development. And we have seen the way loans have gone in the past.

“We are seeing that sometimes the loans that were taken by previous administrations were not directly applied to what can bring return for the repayment of the loan.

“So even when those projects are executed at very exorbitant cost, it does not have the means to be able to repay itself based on the way it was applied.

“So presently, this government that has been taking loans, especially this recent one, I believe that the National Assembly should have done a thorough review of the usage of the loan and the viability of the projects that the facility is going to be for, and the capacity of that facility to be able to repay the loan.

“What can actually help Nigeria is for us to do targeted projects that can improve our infrastructure development to complement our economic aspirations.

“And when that is done, this project should be able to have the capacity to repay the loan.

“So if this administration goes the way of the previous ones that put infrastructure development at the expense of the government also looking for revenue to repay those loans because those projects cannot repay itself, then we will be back to square one,” he said.

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The Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria has warned that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s plan to bypass existing distribution channels and supply refined petroleum products directly to end-users would lead to a nationwide disruption, long-term product scarcity, and the collapse of existing supply networks.

The oil and gas suppliers called on the refinery to halt its plan and seek further dialogue before commencing the distribution of products to end users, urging it to learn from what happened to non-functional refineries under the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

They also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the issue, stressing that Dangote alone cannot handle nationwide distribution of products sustainably. The NOGASA National President, Bennett Korie, made the call during the association’s Annual General Meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

However, an official of the Dangote Group described the position of the dealers as anti-Nigeria, arguing that the plan by Dangote was to remove the cost of logistics in the movement of petrol nationwide.

Speaking with The PUNCH, while reacting to the development, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said Nigerians should not rejoice yet over the announcement by the Dangote refinery, as he backed the sister oil marketing group, NOGASA.

Meanwhile, it was observed on Thursday that the prices of petrol at depots spiked by up to seven per cent, from the N815 per litre it sold on Wednesday to N870 per litre on Thursday.

Recall that the $20bn Dangote refinery recently disclosed plans to deploy 4,000 new Compressed Natural Gas-powered tankers for nationwide distribution of petrol and diesel directly to marketers, manufacturers, telecom firms, aviation companies, and other large consumers, bypassing traditional depots and intermediaries.

The refinery took delivery of 4,000 new CNG-powered trucks for its fuel distribution initiative, scheduled to be launched on August 15. The initiative, which is intended to provide more efficient transportation across Nigeria and beyond, has been applauded by some industry experts. With the investment of N720bn, the initiative is expected to save Nigerians over N1.7tn annually, and lift 42 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises by reducing energy costs and enhancing profitability.

The refinery said the strategic programme is part of its broader commitment to eliminating logistics costs, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting sustainability, and supporting Nigeria’s economic development.

However, Korie, speaking in his address, said if existing retail outlets were forced out of business due to Dangote’s direct distribution approach, it would be difficult to revive the supply chain in the event of any disruption at the refinery.

He further warned that handling refining, distribution, and retail through filling stations as a single entity is unsustainable, citing the failed attempt by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at direct distribution. He stated that the state-owned refineries began to decline after the oil company ventured into retail distribution.

“We are pleading that Mr President should intervene in this matter by telling Dangote to slow down, and go by the rules of the game. Nobody’s against the refinery. If there’s anybody who supported Dangote Refinery more than any other organisation, it is this association.

“But when this issue came up, we said, no, we need to advise, we need to give you an idea how to go about it. What is important to us is that the refinery is blending, the product is coming out, and Nigerians are enjoying the product that is blended today.

“Now, some Nigerians will be thinking maybe because we don’t want him to do this or because of competition. No, it is because we don’t want what happened to NNPCL to happen to Dangote Refinery. The reason is that, before now, NNPC refined products and distributed them through their subsidiary at that time.

“And everything was moving smoothly, it wasn’t bad. Until people who I think advised Dangote today, went to advise NNPC to start doing distribution directly, which is the filling station that you have in NNPC filling stations. As soon as this NNPC filling station started, that was when our refinery started going down,” Korie said, warning that the same fate could befall Dangote’s $20bn refinery if it follows a similar path.

Korie stressed that while the association fully supports the operations of the Dangote refinery, the decision to bypass traditional distributors poses a serious threat to existing supply structures and could replicate the challenges that undermined the NNPCL in the past.

He warned that handling refining, distribution, and retail through filling stations as a single entity is unsustainable.  “Because they were concentrating on their filling stations. I am not saying they are not paying attention to refineries, but you can’t do it alone. You are blending, you are refining, and at the same time operating, and again, add a filling station in your operation.

“You will have a problem. That is why today you have this problem of our refineries not working. So because of this, we now say, No, please don’t go there. Concentrate on this thing you are doing. You are doing good. You are finding the product good, sell to the marketers, marketers sell to the end users. Remove your hand from this direct distribution. It will bring you problems, and once you start solving that problem, you will not have time to fix the refinery or operate the refineries very well.

“So it’s important that you concentrate on this refinery. Blend enough for us and sell some to other countries. And that way, the job there will be stable, and our own here will be stable. We are capable of distributing the product. All we need you to do, blend, sell to depot owners, and they will go there and buy, and distribute to the end users. That way, you balance the system.”

He further expressed NOSAGA’s readiness to work with the Refinery to ensure that the business survives for the mutual benefit of all involved. The NOGASA  president added, “During our last meeting, we supported the completion of the refinery, but most of our members are afraid of the giant monopoly.

“The entire giant’s indirect distribution of their products with the purchase of 4,000 distribution trucks for nationwide supply makes us worried about staying in the business. We wish to assure that they consider the small suppliers who depend on those business employee levels. We need to work with them to ensure that our business survives for the mutual benefit of all involved.”

Korie noted the economic impact of such centralisation, stating that thousands of Nigerians working across over 50,000 filling stations and logistics chains could be displaced if independent marketers are sidelined. He called on the government to facilitate dialogue between Dangote Group and key industry stakeholders, including major and independent Petroleum marketers among others.

Also speaking, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said Nigerians should not rejoice yet over the announcement by the Dangote refinery to distribute petroleum products across the country, as there is always payback time.

“We don’t need to pretend that we don’t know what’s going to happen. Because many of us are clapping hands, one company wants to refine, one company wants to stock, one company wants to do the logistics of distribution, and one company wants to fix prices. So that one company is going to be both a businessman and a regulator. And so many Nigerians don’t seem to understand the dynamics of the difficulty,” he said.

Reflecting on what happened in the cement industry, he said, “Because I want to draw your attention to the fact that we also have similar situations in our cement industry, where you are seeing the same trucks supplying cement.

“So, I’m sure you have seen in all your homes and villages and cities, those small, small container shops that are for cement. So, where the cement is not produced from the factory, and also distributed to those very critical distribution centres, have you bought cement for N115 again? From N115, we are buying now for 10,000 plus,” he said.

He raised concerns over what he described as Dangote’s attempt to dominate the market, noting that retail outlet operators are losing as much as N80 per litre due to sudden price adjustments.

The PETROAN boss argued that with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, which has now been upgraded to 700,000 barrels, the Dangote  refinery should be competing with global refineries, and not operate as a distributor in the downstream, adding that NOGASA, NATO, and PTT could effectively do the job of distribution of the products.

“Just yesterday, some of them began selling products at N817 per litre. That represents a loss of over N80 per litre for filling station operators. When you consider the volume of product involved, it becomes clear that, very soon, salaries may not be paid.

“The association is therefore calling on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to urgently implement pricing regulations, reinforce market oversight, ensure crude oil is accessible to local refineries, and take deliberate steps to protect existing jobs in the sector,” Gillis Harry noted.

Dangote reacts

A senior official of the Dangote Group expressed surprise that an organisation could threaten to disrupt fuel supply because an individual wants to distribute fuel free of charge to Nigerians.

“Why would they want to disrupt? Somebody wants to distribute fuel for free (without the cost of logistics). We are not asking for money. We are saying part of the reason why PMS is expensive is because of the logistics, and we are removing the cost. We are removing that money. So, why are they angry?  Why the disruption, if not anti-Nigeria? They hate Nigeria; they don’t want this country to prosper.

“If someone wants to do something free, we are not asking for money. We are not saying, once we use our truck to supply you with PMS, you are going to pay us money. Why are you angry that an individual, a private sector person, wants to do that? Why are you angry? Why are you pained? And is this market not big enough for everybody to survive?” the official, who spoke in confidence because he was not permitted to talk on the matter, asked.

The official discountenanced claims that NOGASA members would lose their source of livelihood.

“How will they lose their job? The market is big enough. You heard what the NNPC man said yesterday about the fact that they are not willing to sell the Port Harcourt refinery. And there are other modular refineries everywhere. Some people are working. They will still be in use. They will still be useful.

“Okay, we are starting with 4,000 trucks. There are 774 Local Governments in Nigeria. Can the 4,000 trucks really go around the 774 LGs? No. Why are we deceiving ourselves? Why are we anti-Nigeria? Why don’t we want this country to progress and develop? Absolutely, I don’t see any need for them to go on strike. Nobody’s threatening anybody. Nobody’s interested in a monopoly. This country can thrive with everybody doing their business. Dangote is not saying, ‘don’t do your business,” the official stated.

IPMAN National Vice Chairman, Hammed Fashola, said he would not know whether or not NOGASA members have the strength to disrupt fuel supply in Nigeria.

According to him, everybody is trying to survive in the oil business as they perceived Dangote’s plan as a means of cutting them out of business.

“Everybody wants to make sure they remain in business. You know, there have been a lot of reactions to that move by Dangote. Naturally, transporters will not be happy, and intermediaries won’t like it. You know this thing has a value chain, and there are a lot of people playing one role or the other in the supply chain.

“I believe Dangote, too, will be listening to the stakeholders. So, I think at the end of the day, everybody will be on the same page. Let’s see what happens. I don’t know their strength. I told you I’m not a member. So, I cannot tell if they have the strength to disrupt fuel supply. Before they can say they want to disrupt the supply, I think maybe they have the capacity. But let’s wait and see,” Fashola said.

Depots hike prices

Meanwhile, depot prices for petrol spiked by up to seven per cent, from the N815 per litre it sold to customers on Wednesday to N870 per litre on Thursday. This was as Dangote refinery abruptly suspended petrol sales across its terminals, deepening supply uncertainty and accelerating price movements nationwide.

In a notice titled “Important Update on DPRP Collection Account for PMS”, Dangote refinery instructed marketers to halt all payments for PMS loading at its gantry, effectively freezing further allocations. “Please be advised that, effective immediately, all payments to the DPRP collection account for PMS gantry should be placed on hold,” the internal memo read. “Further updates will be communicated shortly.”

Earlier this week, importers dropped petrol prices below the price offered by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, sparking a new wave of competition.

But fresh findings have now revealed that depot owners have hiked their prices based on the increased crude price, indicating a possible increase in pump price next week nationwide. Findings by our correspondent using petroleumprice.ng showed that six depots including NIPCO, Aiteo, Rain oil, MenJ, Sahara and Aipec have all effected an increase to N870 per litre. The Dangote refinery depot sold slightly less at N865 per litre.

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• Consumers decry new fuel tax after subsidy removal as law begins Jan. 2026

The Federal Government may rake in N796bn annually from the introduction of a five per cent surcharge on locally produced and imported petrol, based on its new tax policy slated to take effect from January 1, 2026.

The five per cent surcharge on refined petroleum products is contained in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, one of four tax reform bills signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on June 26, 2025. Our correspondent obtained a copy of the Act on Wednesday.

However, consumers have opposed the move, stressing that the government had earlier removed fuel subsidies and now plots to impose a five per cent surcharge on fuel, without considering the harsh economic realities nationwide.

This came as oil marketers stated that the five per cent surcharge may further hike the pump prices of refined petroleum products.

The surcharge forms part of government efforts to shore up non-oil revenues and promote fiscal sustainability amid mounting public debt and subsidy-related costs. The policy targets fossil fuel products provided or produced in Nigeria.

Fossil fuel products include petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel, and Compressed Natural Gas, among others. They are derived from the processing of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

However, items exempted from the new tax are clean or renewable energy products, as well as household kerosene, cooking gas, and Compressed Natural Gas.

Findings by The PUNCH showed that the government would garner about N796bn annually from only petrol once the five per cent surcharge takes effect.

An analysis by our correspondent, using the volume of imported and refined petrol, showed that the government could earn N796bn based on the 2024 estimates of national consumption and refining capacity production data provided by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

This N796bn is purely for petrol and doesn’t include other fossil fuel derivatives such as diesel and aviation fuel.

A breakdown of data from the NMDPRA shows that the total volume of petrol consumed by Nigerians reached 18.75 billion litres in 2024. NMDPRA, an agency of the Federal Government, is the mid- and downstream regulator of the oil and gas industry.

The 18.75 billion litres of petrol translates to about N15.93tn, using the average price of N850 for a litre of petrol consumed in Nigeria during the review period. Five per cent of N15.93tn represents N796bn, which is the sum that the Federal Government may rake in annually from only petrol once it implements the planned surcharge.

This, therefore, implies that the government’s earnings from the proposed surcharge on fossil fuel products (petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel) would be more than N796bn once the five per cent surcharge policy on refined petroleum products takes effect, after being approved by the Minister of Finance, as stated in the Act.

According to the law, the surcharge will be imposed on all “chargeable fossil fuel products” and will be calculated based on the retail price of the product. The Act stipulates that the surcharge will apply to a “chargeable transaction” such as the supply, sale, or payment for the product, “whichever occurs first”.

The law read in part, “A surcharge is imposed at five per cent on chargeable fossil fuel products provided or produced in Nigeria, and shall be collected at the time a chargeable transaction occurs.

“(1) For the purpose of imposing a surcharge on fossil fuel products, the chargeable transaction shall be the supply, sale, or payment, whichever occurs first. (2) Surcharge shall be computed based on the retail price of all chargeable fossil fuel products.”

The implementation date, however, remains undecided and is now subject to the approval of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. “The minister may, by an Order issued in the Official Gazette, indicate the effective date of commencement of the administration of the surcharge on fossil fuel products under this Chapter,” the Act said.

“The Service shall administer and collect the surcharge every month and may issue regulations for its administration,” a section of the Act reads. A surcharge is an additional fee or tax added to the price of a good or service beyond the base price.

The law tasks the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which will be renamed the Nigeria Revenue Service by 2026, with administering and collecting the surcharge every month. It also empowers the agency to issue further regulations for effective implementation.

It further stated, “The surcharge under this Chapter shall not apply to the following fossil fuel products: (a) clean or renewable energy products; (b) household kerosene; (c) cooking gas; and (d) Compressed Natural Gas.

“(2) For the purpose of this section, ‘clean or renewable energy’ means energy from solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, or plant and animal waste, which are naturally replenishing, produce little or no environmental pollution or greenhouse gas emissions, and do not deplete over time.”

The Nigeria Tax Act is one of four tax laws signed into law by President Tinubu to overhaul the country’s tax framework. The others include the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act.

The laws are aimed at enhancing revenue collection efficiency, promoting fiscal transparency, and supporting the implementation of Nigeria’s medium-term revenue strategy.

With rising government borrowing and growing fiscal pressures, the surcharge is expected to form part of new efforts to boost non-oil revenue, though its real impact will depend largely on how and when it is implemented.

Consumers kick

However, marketers, transport workers, farmers, human rights advocates, and civil society groups across Nigeria have raised opposition to the proposed implementation of the five per cent users’ charge on petrol and diesel pump prices.

The National Chairman of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association, Akintade Abiodun, accused the government of using Nigerians as “lab rats” for unpopular economic decisions.

The Association of Nigerian Refineries Petroleum Marketers also raised an alarm recently over the Federal Government’s plan to enforce a five per cent user charge on fuel pump prices through the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, warning of severe operational and economic consequences for marketers and consumers.

The association’s National Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Usman Ali, disclosed this at a press conference. The association acknowledged the past failures of the subsidy system, which it described as riddled with corruption, inefficiency, and massive fiscal leakages.

It warned that the removal of the subsidy must be matched with robust regulatory frameworks to avoid a resurgence of malpractice in the downstream sector. The association called for digital tracking systems, transparent procurement procedures, and effective enforcement to improve accountability and reduce losses

The association, however, expressed conditional support for the proposed levy, stating that while improving Nigeria’s road infrastructure was necessary, the charge must be implemented with caution and tied to visible and immediate road rehabilitation.

“The powers that be in this country are taking us for a ride. They think we won’t react just because we were quiet the last time they increased fuel. Now they want to add another cost on top of the already expensive pump price. This must be reversed,” he said.

On its part, the Chancellor of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, Jackson Omenazu, chided the government for pursuing policies that are “anti-people.” He warned that growing public frustration could explode if authorities continue to ignore the sufferings of citizens.

Omenazu said, “How can lawmakers sit in the comfort of their offices, after increasing their own allowances, to approve policies that will send poor Nigerians to early graves? What kind of leadership is this?

IPMAN reacts

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has warned that the five per cent surcharge on petroleum products may lead to an increase in the pump price of fuel across the country.

The association explained that although the new levy would be factored into the pre-pricing structure by industry players such as refineries and marketers, the financial impact would eventually be transferred to consumers.

National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, who spoke in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, said the development could complicate Nigeria’s already fragile downstream pricing environment.

“The only implication is that industry players like the refineries will add it to their pre-pricing costs, but not post-pricing costs,” Ukadike said. “But indirectly, it would also lead to an increase in the pump price.” He said the association is closely monitoring how the policy will be implemented.

According to him, “Any additional charge on the cost of importation or refining of petroleum products will, by extension, reflect in the final retail price. This is because marketers operate on thin margins and cannot absorb such levies without a ripple effect.”

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