MURIC commends Dangote Refinery for fuel crisis-free Yuletide
*Says Alhaji Aliko Dangote deserves accolades for enabling Christmas celebrate Christmas hitch free
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“Apart from pouring encomium on the refinery and the brain behind it, government should give the refinery enduring oxygen in terms of protection and creating an enabling business environment for it.”
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has praised the Dangote Refinery for its role in ensuring a fuel crisis-free 2025 Yuletide season across Nigeria.
In a press statement issued on Friday, January 9, 2026, the Executive Director of the human rights organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said Nigerians enjoyed uninterrupted access to fuel from the 2025 Christmas period through the first week of the New Year, a development he described as unprecedented in recent times.
According to MURIC, the absence of fuel scarcity during the festive period brought significant relief to Nigerians, as Christmas celebrations and end-of-year travels were carried out without fear of fuel shortages. Fuel stations, the group noted, operated seamlessly throughout the season, allowing motorists and commuters to move freely across the country.
Professor Akintola recalled past experiences of fuel scarcity, characterized by long queues at filling stations, black-market sales at exorbitant prices, disrupted travel plans, and rising transportation and food costs. He said the contrast between those experiences and the recent festive period was striking.
“This difference is clear, and Dangote Refinery deserves accolades for this achievement,” the statement said, adding that Nigerians were spared the hardship and risks previously associated with fuel shortages.
While commending the refinery and its founder, MURIC urged the government to ensure the sustainability of the achievement by providing adequate protection for the facility and creating an enabling business environment to support its operations.
The group expressed hope that Nigeria would never again experience the severe fuel crises of the past and called for policies that would guarantee continuity in fuel supply across the country.
The statement, titled “DANGOTE REFINERY DESERVES ACCOLADES FOR FUEL CRISIS-FREE YULETIDE”, said in details that, “Nigerians heaved sighs of relief during the past two weeks from the 2025 Christmas period through the first week of the New year 2026 as the period flew past without a single sign of fuel crisis.
”Christmas was celebrated with pomp and pageantry. People travelled to their various destinations around the country without nursing any fear of non-availability of fuel. Fuel stations sold their various products seamlessly throughout the season and car owners experienced no glitches.
”Looking back, we can see long queues in the days of yore. We slept at the petrol stations for days. We bought black market fuel at more than triple its normal price. We endangered lives by storing fuel in car boots and home stores. Some trips were called off for lack of fuel. Meanwhile transport fares skyrocketed while the prices of foodstuffs hit the ceilings over fuel scarcity in those days.
“Thank God it is all over. May we never experience that horrendous spectacle again. This is why Dangote Refinery deserves our accolades. The difference is clear. But we should ponder about continuity.
“Apart from pouring encomium on the refinery and the brain behind it, government should give the refinery enduring oxygen in terms of protection and creating an enabling business environment for it.”
