15% Import Duty On Petrol Will Bring More Hardship On Nigerians – Okonkwo Tackles Tinubu

Actor cum politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has sent a message to President Bola Tinubu over his latest approval of 15% duty on imported petroleum products into Nigeria.

Reacting, Okonkwo said the latest move by Tinubu will bring more suffering on Nigerians.

Recall that President Tinubu had this week approved a 15 per cent import duty on diesel and premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

It was learnt that the private secretary to the president, Damilotun Aderemi, conveyed Tinubu’s approval to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

According to TheCable, Tinubu approved the request in a letter dated October 21, 2025, after the FIRS requested that the 15 per cent duty be applied to the cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) to align import costs with domestic realities.

However, Okonkwo, in a reaction on Thursday, via a post on his 𝕏 account, said the policy is ill-advised.

He lamented that the import duty will only discourage imported petroleum, kill competition, and add to the suffering of Nigerians.

“The government of Tinubu has become destructive of the welfare of the people by the 15% duty on imported petroleum products imposed by this insensitive government. The only competitor to the locally made refined products is the imported one.

“Any idea to discourage imported petroleum products now that the local price is still high is ill advised because it will lead to higher prices. Nigerians have suffered enough and do not wish higher increases now,” he wrote.