By Ayomide Otitoju
The Good Governance Watch has strongly criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, for allegedly misleading Nigerians regarding petrol imports in 2025. The organization accused NNPCL of providing false information when it claimed that it had not imported a single liter of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) this year.
NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, had refuted reports suggesting that the corporation imported more than 200 million liters of petrol in February 2025. However, multiple Motor Tanker Vessel reports confirmed these imports, contradicting the company’s claims.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the National Coordinator of Good Governance Watch, Dr. Sola Johnson, criticized NNPCL for attempting to deceive Nigerians. “It is irresponsible for NNPCL to assert that it has not imported any petrol in 2025 while discrediting journalists who exposed its activities by accusing them of unprofessional journalism,” Johnson stated.
Dr. Johnson challenged NNPCL to dispute specific shipping reports. “The Motor Tanker Vessels Report of February 10, 2025, indicated that NNPCL imported 37,000 metric tonnes of petrol through the Lagos ASPM terminal on the ship Kriti Bay. Another 37,000 metric tonnes arrived on the ship Kouris the same day. Additionally, 28,000 metric tonnes were delivered on Hapia Andre at the PWA/BOP/NOJ Lagos terminal, and 20,000 metric tonnes were shipped by Mycroft to the Calabar Mainland terminal.”
He further noted that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had confirmed that half of Nigeria’s daily 50-million-liter petrol consumption was met through imports. “NMDPRA has stated that less than 50% of this daily consumption comes from domestic refineries, with the shortfall sourced via imports in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act. This exposes NNPCL’s falsehoods,” he added.
According to Good Governance Watch, the misleading statements are part of a troubling pattern by NNPCL. “It is disheartening that NNPCL continually misleads Nigerians and the government, even when facts are clear. The corporation’s claims about refinery operations producing petrol are false,” Johnson stated.
The organization demanded that NNPCL and its spokesperson retract their statements and apologize to Nigerians. “We call on NNPCL to acknowledge the truth and sanction those responsible for this misinformation campaign,” the statement read.
The group also urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action against NNPCL’s alleged misinformation and corruption. “Unless President Tinubu addresses this issue, NNPCL’s actions will tarnish his administration with allegations of corruption,” Good Governance Watch warned.
