The minister added that the decision was made during a recent meeting of airline operators.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, says Nigerian airline operators have collectively decided to stop purchasing imported fuel.
The minister made the revelation when he appeared on a live broadcast of Channels TV on Tuesday, saying the decision was made by the aviation sector stakeholders to patronise locally refined products from Dangote Refinery.
The minister added that the decision was made during a recent meeting of airline operators.
This would mark a major shift towards self-sufficiency in Nigeria's aviation fuel supply. By opting for Dangote Refinery's products, the operators aim to bolster the local industry and reduce reliance on imported fuels.
“Incidentally, it also coincides at a point when Dangote Refinery is coming on, and they are about to start producing Jet A1 for our local industry. The airline operators of Nigeria recently met. And let me give you this expo, I am sure they have not released this to Nigerians,” the minister said in the broadcast monitored by SaharaReporters on Channels TV.
He continued: “They have made a clear decision, all of them. They no longer buy imported fuel to also support the local industry, the Dangote Refinery. This is the decision of the Airline Operation of Nigeria, with my push that they should be buying from Dangote Refinery.”
The Nigerian government had announced the commencement of naira transactions for crude oil as directed by President Bola Tinubu.