Kaduna Dangote refinery protest demands urgent government action to stop sabotage and protect Nigeria’s local refining sector from oil cartel interference.

Kaduna Dangote refinery protest brought parts of the city to a halt on Monday, as thousands marched to condemn sabotage by an entrenched oil importation cartel and elements within the labour movement.

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The demonstrators demanded urgent government intervention to safeguard Nigeria’s burgeoning local refining industry.

Under the banner of Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP), protesters gathered at Murtala Mohammed Square before winding through key Kaduna streets, holding placards urging support for local refining and an end to the fuel import cartel.

Igwe Ude-Umanta, one of the movement’s leaders, described the protests as a “national liberation effort” to rescue Nigeria’s economy from forces intent on perpetuating dependence on imported fuel.

He drew a stark comparison to the demise of Kaduna’s once-thriving textile industry, which he said was destroyed by similar sabotage.

“This struggle is against the cartel that destroyed our public refineries, killed the textile industry, and now wants to strangle the Dangote Refinery.

We will not let them succeed,” Ude-Umanta declared, to loud applause.

He accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) of economic sabotage, denouncing recent union actions as helping the cartel’s agenda. Dahiru Maishanu, another rally speaker, echoed this, calling the union’s conduct beyond legitimate labour protest and urging government crackdown.

The protesters appealed to President Bola Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum Resources, to ensure that local refineries like Dangote receive crude oil on terms equal to those granted foreign refiners. “President Tinubu must stamp his feet,” the crowd demanded.

Maishanu further accused the cartel of blocking sales of locally produced Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Aviation Turbine Kerosene to maintain artificially high prices and monopoly profits.

“They are punishing Nigerians to protect their greed,” he said.

The movement praised the Dangote Refinery for its early impact in lowering fuel prices and warned that undermining the refinery would severely damage investor confidence and Nigeria’s broader economy.

PANEP called on the government to crush enemies of Nigeria’s economic progress and swiftly implement policies to protect local refining.

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The protest follows a prolonged industrial dispute between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery management, which was temporarily resolved after federal government mediation, highlighting tensions surrounding union grievances and refinery operations.