Nigeria don approve 15% import duty for petrol and diesel, na wetin presidential memo wey Reuters see on Thursday tok. Di government wan use dis move protect di multi-billion-dollar investment dem wey dey for local refining by reducing di way cheaper fuel dey enter di kontri.

Dis measure na part of di bigger fiscal reforms wey go help boost di kontri non-oil revenue before di planned tax changes wey dem dey plan for 2026, di government tok. E follow di removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange control wey happen last year.

“Dis reform go fast-track Nigeria journey to fuel self-sufficiency, protect consumers and investors, and stabilize di downstream petroleum market,” di memo tok.

President Bola Tinubu don sign di new import duty on October 21.

Nigeria, wey be di biggest oil producer for Africa, don dey try end di way dem dey depend on imported fuel for long.

Di plan get better boost last year when di 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote refinery start operation. But di refinery – wey be di biggest for Africa and cost $20 billion to build – don dey face wahala from imported fuel wey dem dey sell cheaper pass di cost to produce am, di memo add.

Right now, pump price dey around 928 naira ($0.6322) per litre. Officials dey estimate say di duty fit make di price rise by about 99 naira.

Nigeria don face fuel shortage before because of supply wahala.