Aliko Dangote, wey be Nigeria richest man, accuse Nigerian petroleum regulators say dem dey allow cheap fuel imports wey dey threaten local refineries, and him call for probe.

Nigeria na Africa biggest oil producer, but e still dey rely heavily on imports, and Dangote refinery suppose change dat.

Dangote talk say if dem continue to allow imports without control, e fit threaten jobs, investment and energy security.

For him 650,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery for Lagos, Dangote say imports dey used 'to checkmate domestic potential', dey create jobs for other countries while Nigeria dey struggle to industrialise.

Make dem do probe

"You no go use imports take checkmate domestic potential," na so e talk to reporters.

Dangote call make dem do official inquiry into the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

But NMDPRA accuse Dangote refinery say e dey try get monopoly for sales of petroleum products, and dem talk say the refinery output no reach to meet local demand.

Last month, the regulator urge the president make e drop plans to ban imports of refined petroleum products because local output no fit meet the national demand of 55 million litres every day.

Dangote no gree with that one; he say the regulator dey distort the refinery real capacity by dey report offtake figures instead of the true production data.

Supply shortage

The refinery wey dem design to end Nigeria reliance on imported fuel and save billions in foreign exchange, dey talk say dem never fit secure all the crude wey dem need because the regulator never implement rule wey suppose guarantee crude supply to local refiners before export.

Dangote say the refinery dey import 100 million barrels of crude oil every year - number wey dem expect go double after dem expand the refinery because domestic supply limited.

Despite these hurdles, Dangote promise say him go continue with expansion plans for the facility and protect him investment, wey he talk na 'too big to fail'.

He also repeat plans to list the company for the local stock market and pay dividends in US dollars so 'every Nigerian can own a piece of the economy'.

Nigeria, wey be Africa top oil producer, don long dey depend on imports because the old refineries don stop to work.