DG-GGAI, Leonard Anyogo
Petroleum products marketers in Nigeria have been told to cultivate the patriotic act of purchasing petroleum products refined in the country, rather than importing them.
The Director General (DG) of Good Governance Advocacy International (GGAI), Leonard Anyogo made the appeal on Friday in a telephone interview with journalists on the recent introduction of 15 percent tariffs on imported petroleum products by the federal government.
Anyogo, who explained that, tariffs are introduced globally by countries to protect their economies, however expressed shock that petroleum products marketers in Nigeria are still importing petroleum products when the country has the refining capacity through the Dangote refinery.
He stated that the continued importation of petroleum products as against local purchase had been responsible for the dipping devaluation of the Nigerian currency.
“We expect that Nigerians should patronise made in Nigerian goods for the naira to appreciate.
“If we patronise made in Nigerian goods, especially when we have the comparative advantage right now, the economy will strive,” Anyogo said.
He warned that continued importion of petroleum products at a higher cost when we have a lower cost in the country would cause the end users to bear a higher burden.
“The essence of the 15 percent tariffs imposed by the federal government is that, the one you import at that high cost when you have a lower cost in the country, will place a higher burden on the end users
“The policy of going out there to import what we have does not augur well with our economy.
“In international affairs, one has to protect the economy of his country and that is why we robust economies from other climes,” the GGAI DG stated.
He also advised petroleum products marketers in Nigeria who do not want to patronise Dangote refinery to set up petroleum refineries or modular refineries to check importation of petroleum products.
