The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has warned that it will mobilise students nationwide to occupy federal highways if attempts to undermine private refineries, particularly the Dangote Refinery, do not stop.
In a strongly worded statement issued during a national warning protest held simultaneously in Abuja, Asaba, and Lagos, NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, denounced what he described as a coordinated effort by vested interests to obstruct Nigeria’s quest for refining self-sufficiency.
He criticised the continued pressure from trade unions, especially the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), to force private refinery workers into union membership. Oladoja described such actions as unconstitutional and detrimental to investment.
“This is coercion and a clear violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association,” he stated.
NANS also accused international oil companies, petroleum importers, and local unions of colluding to keep Nigeria dependent on imported fuel by frustrating local refining initiatives.
The association compared the current situation to the collapse of the country’s textile industry, which it attributed to similar sabotage and insufficient government protection.
During the protest, the students’ body outlined five key demands:
-
Priority crude oil allocation for Nigerian refineries.
-
An end to the undervaluation of crude oil sold to foreign refineries.
-
A shift away from fuel importation towards locally refined products.
-
Protection of private investments and workers’ rights.
-
Cessation of union harassment and industrial blackmail.
Comrade Oladoja warned that failure by the government to address these concerns would prompt NANS to escalate its actions through nationwide student demonstrations.
“We will defend the survival of Nigeria’s economy and the dignity of our nation,” he declared.