By, Olawale Ogunbusola

The Coalition of Yoruba Youth Movement (COYYM) and Young Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Energy Sector have raised deep concern over the continuous high cost of fuel in the country.

The organization said despite the operational presence of the Dangote Refinery and other local refining initiatives, shortfall of fuel production still persists.

In a statement signed by President
Coalition of Yoruba Youth Movement (COYYM), Comrade Olalere Benedict Adetunji on Friday, the organization described the event as alarming and unacceptable.

It added that while Nigeria possesses the capacity to refine its own petroleum products, however, the benefits of such investments are yet to be fully realized by the Nigerian people.

“The persistent high price of fuel is a direct consequence of limited crude oil supply to domestic refineries, particularly under the Naira-based crude supply arrangement.”

The organization warned against continued blackmail, sabotage and inconsistent policy that could further strengthen the growth of local refineries. We strongly caution against any form of blackmail, sabotage, or policy inconsistency that undermines the growth and efficiency of local refineries, saying this may have negative impacts citizens confidence in the growing economic pacts in Nigeria.

We want to state here that actions to blackmail local refineries through inconsistent policies may result to deepen hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians and as well weaken confidence in the economic direction.”

Meanwhile, the organization called the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to prioritize, guarantee adequate and consistent crude oil supply to all functional local refineries, including the Dangote Refinery, saying, “This must be done transparently and in alignment with national interest. Nigeria cannot continue to depend on fuel importation when we have the capacity to refine locally.”

“Supporting domestic refining is not just an economic necessity—it is a strategic imperative for energy security, job creation, and price stability.”