New 15% import duty on top petrol and diesel go mean price hike for Nigerians?

As di Nigerian govment don introduce new 15% tariff on top all imported petroleum products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) wey pipo know as just fuel, and diesel, different pipo don dey chook mouth about wetin dis go mean for di ordinary Nigerian.

Since di Dangote Refinery start to dey produce fuel, di way wey Nigeria bin dey depend on imported fuel and diesel don reduce, and sabi pipo say dis also contribute to how naira don dey stable against di dollar for some time now.

However, according to numbers from di National Bureau of Statistics, more dan 65% of fuel wey pipo dey use for Nigeria still dey imported.

On Thursday, reports come out say President Bola Tinubu approve say pipo wey dey import fuel and diesel, go pay extra 15% import tariff on top am.

Di presidency say dis decision na "bold and strategic move to reshape Nigeria energy landscape".

"For years, di nation bin dey depend heavily on imported fuel despite say na leading crude oil producer," Sunday Dare, tok-tok pesin for President Tinubu tok for one statement on Friday.

"Dis new policy dey designed to reverse dat trend by encouraging local refining, boosting domestic capacity, and make sure say Nigeria oil wealth go translate directly into national prosperity."

Dare say govment want na for imported fuel to dey less competitive, so dat di market go dey in favour of local refineries like Dangote and odas.

Wetin sabi pipo for di oil sector tok?

Yakubu Dimka na one of di leaders of di Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria for northern Nigeria, and e tell BBC News Pidgin say true-true, dis policy go benefit local refineries and dia price go dey cheaper dan di pipo wey dey import.

"We predict say if tins don stabilise for di oil sector, PMS pump price fit come down to even say N600, depending on di market cost of crude oil," oga Dimka tok.

"If no be for di Nupeng and Pengassan problem last time, di price of fuel bin don dey come down to about N820."

"But if scarcity of crude dey for di market, den di price (of PMS) go rise."

Pengassan na acronym for di Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, while Nupeng na di Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.

Di two unions bin get big gbas-gbos wit Dangote refinery for September wey make dem go strike. Dat strike bin affect di distribution of petroleum products and e cause small scarcity of PMS and even cooking gas, come make dia price to increase reach today.

Dimka say dis policy go work beta if no be just one or two refineries dey work for di kontri, bicos e mean say if anytin hapun, scarcity go choke.

Also, di Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (Petroan) release statement dis Friday dey praise President Tinubu introducing dis 15% tariff on top imported PMS and diesel.

Joseph Obele, tok-tok pesin for di association, tok say di move go "boost local refining, promote economic growth, create more job opportunities, and create level playing field for domestic refineries".

But dem also warn say "if local refineries no dey properly regulated, e fit lead to monopoly wey fit harm di market".

Petroan beg Nigeria govment to do fast and repair di three govment refineries for Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna bifor December dis year so dat fuel scarcity no go dey during di Christmas period.

Presently for Nigeria, Dangote Refinery na di only major local refinery wey dey refine PMS, Diesel and even Jet fuel. However, e get some modular refineries for Edo, Imo, and Delta States wey also dey refine petroleum products small small.

Anoda tax by di Tinubu administration - Opposition Parties

Meanwhile, some members of di opposition don criticise dis extra import duty on top petrol and diesel as dem say di Tinubu administration wan use plenty tax choke pipo.

Adewole Adebayo, wey bin run for di office of di President for 2023 on top Social Democratic Party (SDP), say President Tinubu go soon introduce 'oxygen tax' and pipo go dey pay for di air wey dem dey breath.

"President Tinubu na clever tax collector. E wan collect tax for evritin, including oxygen tax very soon. If you no dey careful, yes, di air we dey breathe. Just give am time; e go get dia," Adewole tok for one TV interview.

Di SDP presidential candidate say di president for first make sure say all di refineries for di kontri don dey work well bifor e go now introduce measures to discourage importation.

E say, di president wey also be di petroleum minister, na di reason why Nigeria no dey meet dia domestic consumption.

"We give you refineries to manage. You appoint yoursef Minister of Petroleum. We spend billions on turnaround maintenance. You no fit make di refineries work. You be di reason why we dey import now.

"Wetin di president for do na to call Heineken Lokpobiri (di Minister of State for Petroleum) and Bayo Ojulari (di oga kpatakpata of di Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited) and say, 'I want those refineries to work. I dey give you six months, and I want make fuel importation dey reduced to zero,"Adewole tok.