The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says it will commence a joint industry-wide audit of in-country manufacturing and service capacities in the third quarter of 2026.

The move, according to the agency, is designed to eliminate intermediaries from Nigeria’s oil and gas contracting process and channel business directly to qualified local companies.

Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, announced the initiative on Monday at the 25th Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week in Abuja.

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Ogbe said the audit is part of a harmonised industry framework jointly developed over the past year by the NCDMB, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NIPEX), and the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS).

According to him, the participating organisations have agreed to modify their certification portals ahead of the exercise, which will establish a unified assessment of the capabilities of Nigerian manufacturers and service providers operating in the oil and gas industry.

“The outcome of the in-country capacity audit will provide a detailed understanding of existing capabilities, eliminate intermediaries, improve contracting cycle timelines, and ensure direct patronage of established service providers for business sustainability and growth,” Ogbe said.

He explained that the audit would also provide regulators and industry operators with credible data to guide investment decisions, technology partnerships, financing support and future policy interventions.

Ogbe disclosed that while the audit would help identify companies capable of participating in seven major deepwater projects expected in the industry, it would also support smaller indigenous firms through a new five-tier classification framework.

Under the framework, companies categorised as “Emerging Players” and “Essential Vendors” will benefit from a structured vendor development programme aimed at transforming them into manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The programme, he said, will identify high-potential local vendors, assess their readiness for manufacturing, facilitate technical partnerships, improve access to financing and connect them with guaranteed market opportunities.

Ogbe noted that the next phase of Nigeria’s local content policy must move beyond compliance to focus on industrialisation, manufacturing and globally competitive Nigerian companies.

He added that although Nigerian content has grown from less than five per cent before the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act in 2010 to 61 per cent today.

The NCDMB boss maintained that sustaining that growth requires stronger collaboration across regulators, operators, financiers and manufacturers as well as reliable patronage for existing local capacities.

The petition filed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) against the Federal Government over the issuance of fuel import licences to some petroleum marketers has suffered a setback because of the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The matter was listed for Monday but could not be called up as Justice Aneke was said to be indisposed, prompting the court to adjourn the matter until October 7 for hearing.

The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/857/2026, also involves the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and several petroleum marketing firms, including NIPCO, AA Rano, Matrix, Shafa, Pinnacle and Bono, which the refinery alleges benefited from the disputed import licences.

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The DPRP is asking the court to invalidate the fuel import licences allegedly issued or renewed in favour of the marketers and NNPC Ltd, contending that the approvals were granted in violation of an earlier court order.

The application, brought under Sections 6, 36(1) and 287 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Order 26 Rules 1 and 2 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction, seeks an order setting aside all import licences issued or renewed on or about May 6, 2026.

The refinery argues that the licences were granted despite the court’s April 29, 2026 order directing all parties to maintain the status quo as it existed on April 2, 2026.

In its defence, however, the NNPC Ltd urged the court to dismiss the suit, maintaining that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the Federal Government’s Backward Integration Policy empower the relevant regulatory authorities to issue fuel import licences whenever necessary to guarantee national supply.

The national oil company argued that there is no blanket prohibition on fuel imports, particularly where imports are required to ensure product availability and market stability.

The NNPC Ltd further accused the DPRP of attempting to monopolise Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market through the litigation.

According to the company, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) acted within its statutory powers in issuing the disputed licences, noting that the law permits such approvals for companies with local refining capacity or a proven track record in petroleum trading.

It also contended that the PIA does not impose a total ban on fuel imports except where there is a verified domestic surplus, insisting that importation remains a lawful tool for stabilising fuel supply and prices.

However, the DPRP on its part, argued that the continued issuance and renewal of import licences undermine local refining and violate Section 317(9) of the PIA, which it interprets as restricting imports to situations where there is a proven domestic supply shortfall.

The refinery maintained that with its installed refining capacity of about 650,000 barrels per day, Nigeria has sufficient domestic refining capacity to meet local demand. It relied on regulatory data which it said indicates that daily production of petrol and diesel now exceeds national consumption.

It added that the refinery was established to meet Nigeria’s refined petroleum needs while generating export surpluses, describing the project as a strategic national investment expected to create a multi-billion-dollar market for Nigerian crude oil.

THe NNPC Ltd, however, disputed those claims, arguing that Dangote had failed to present credible and verifiable evidence demonstrating that it could independently guarantee Nigeria’s fuel supply.

The legal dispute has since expanded following an application by the NMDPRA to join the proceedings, transforming the case into a broader challenge over Nigeria’s fuel import policy and the regulation of the downstream petroleum sector.

The DPRP further alleged that the NMDPRA, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the NNPC Ltd have created a hostile operating environment by continuing to issue import licences despite what it described as the absence of any domestic fuel supply shortfall.

The refinery further accused the NNPC Ltd of failing to supply it with adequate crude oil, claiming it receives only about five crude cargoes monthly instead of the 13 cargoes required to operate at full capacity, forcing it to source crude from the international market at higher costs.

The NNPC Ltd denied the allegation, insisting that crude oil allocation is based on operational, commercial, security and logistical considerations, rather than any attempt to frustrate the DPRP’s operations.

The company warned that restricting fuel import licences could expose Nigeria to supply disruptions, price volatility and threats to national energy security.

On its part, the DPRP maintained that continued fuel imports would undermine local refining, discourage investment and frustrate Nigeria’s long-term objective of achieving energy self-sufficiency.

As part of its reliefs, the refinery is seeking an interim injunction restraining the Attorney-General of the Federation and the relevant regulatory agencies from issuing or renewing import licences for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet A1 pending the determination of the suit, arguing that it would suffer irreparable financial and operational losses if the licences continue to be issued.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery exported about 466,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel to Europe in June, valued at an estimated N757bn, overtaking shipments from the United States and others.

This is as Nigerian jet fuel exports to the continent reached their highest level since the country became a net exporter of aviation fuel in 2024.

According to a market report by S&P Global Commodity Insights, the refinery’s exports came as the European jet fuel market turned increasingly bearish following a sharp decline in prices from the highs recorded during the Middle East conflict.

The report stated that flows of jet fuel from Nigeria to Europe rose from 232,000 metric tonnes in May to 466,000 metric tonnes in June, the highest volume exported from the country to Europe since Nigeria became a net exporter of jet fuel in 2024, when the Dangote Refinery commenced aviation fuel production.

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The June export volume is equivalent to about 582.5 million litres of jet fuel. At an estimated domestic value of N1,300 per litre, the shipment is worth about N757.25bn.

On the other hand, aviation fuel exports from the United States fell sharply in the past months. The report showed that jet fuel exports from the United States to Europe declined steadily over the same period, falling from a record 818,000 metric tonnes in April to 560,000 metric tonnes in May and further to 399,000 metric tonnes in June, leaving Nigeria as a bigger supplier to Europe during the month.

Commenting on the market, a trader attributed the oversupply partly to increased shipments from Dangote and the United States. “Jet is oversupplied because of high local refinery production; refineries pushed back maintenance to make the most of the high prices.

“The US and Dangote also shipped large volumes. Now there are some flows resuming through the Suez, too, from the UAE, but let’s see how it goes,” the trader was quoted as saying.

The report noted that the European jet fuel forward curve had weakened significantly after reaching record highs during the Middle East war, as traders now anticipate an oversupplied summer market amid weaker-than-expected aviation demand.

According to Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, the Northwest Europe jet CIF cargo financial assessment for July dropped to $981.75 per metric tonne on June 30, down sharply from the all-time high of $1,694.25 per metric tonne recorded on March 30.

Similarly, the August contract declined from $1,507.50 per metric tonne on March 30 to $968.25 per metric tonne by June 30.

The report added that Europe could receive even more jet fuel supplies in the coming months as the East-West arbitrage remains attractive, encouraging exporters in the Middle East and India to ship cargoes westward.

While flows from the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were absent in June, shipments from Saudi Arabia increased to about 106,000 metric tonnes, up from 7,000 metric tonnes in May, while exports from India rose from 129,000 metric tonnes to 197,000 metric tonnes over the same period.

Despite the current oversupply, two European jet fuel traders reportedly told Platts that market conditions would depend largely on developments in the Strait of Hormuz and the pace at which Middle Eastern refineries recover from disruptions caused by the recent conflict.

They also noted that stronger summer travel demand and refiners’ growing preference to maximise diesel production over jet fuel could gradually help rebalance the aviation fuel market.

Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority showed that the Dangote refinery exported an estimated 1.66 billion litres of refined petroleum products in April 2026.

This was during the mounting tensions in the Middle East that caused disruption to global fuel supply routes.

An analysis of the NMDPRA’s April 2026 fact sheet showed that the country exported about 513 million litres of premium motor spirit, popularly called ‘petrol’; 534 million litres of automotive gas oil, also known as diesel; and 615 million litres of aviation fuel within the month in April.

The Dangote refinery is the only major functional refinery in Nigeria that currently produces enough refined petroleum products for both local consumption and export.

Nigeria has become a net petrol exporter for the first time in decades due to rising output from the Dangote refinery. The refinery had earlier exported about 434 million litres of petrol in March after domestic production exceeded local consumption levels.

The latest figures underscore Nigeria’s gradual transition from a major importer of refined petroleum products to an export hub within Africa. It was observed that jet fuel exports may rise further with the instability caused by the Middle East crisis, which disrupted traditional supply chains serving Europe and other regions.

Courtesy – ThePunch