AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Coalition of Yoruba Youth Movement (COYYM) has called on the Arewa Youth for Good Leadership to cancel its planned protest scheduled to take place in Lagos on March 19, 2026, urging northern youth groups to instead collaborate with other stakeholders to address Nigeria’s fuel supply challenges.
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Olalere Benedict Adetunji, the coalition said the issue surrounding fuel scarcity and rising petrol prices requires collective action rather than protests that could heighten tension in the Southwest.
COYYM advised the Arewa Youth group to join forces with organizations such as the National Association of Oduduwa Students (NAOS), the Coalition of Yoruba Youth Movement, and other student and youth bodies across the country to advocate for the full supply of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and other local refineries.
According to the coalition, ensuring that local refineries receive adequate crude oil supply would significantly help stabilize fuel production and make petrol more affordable for Nigerians.
The group also cautioned against linking the recent fuel scarcity or increase in fuel prices to the operations of the Dangote Refinery, describing such claims as misleading.
COYYM noted that the current rise in fuel prices is largely influenced by global market dynamics, particularly tensions arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has affected crude oil supply and pricing internationally.
The coalition further explained that the Dangote Refinery has not been receiving 100 percent crude oil supply from local sources and has, at different times, resorted to importing crude oil from outside Nigeria to sustain its refining operations.
It therefore urged members of the public and other stakeholders to avoid spreading misinformation about the refinery and instead focus on advocating policies that would strengthen local refining capacity.
“The present situation is a global challenge and not peculiar to Nigeria alone,” the group said, adding that Nigerians should seek accurate information on global energy developments before drawing conclusions about the domestic fuel situation.
COYYM also warned groups planning the proposed protest to stay away from the Southwest region, stressing that any action capable of creating unrest or tension in the area would not be tolerated.
According to the coalition, the most meaningful demand Nigerians should make at this time is for the Federal Government to guarantee a steady and full supply of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and other local refineries.
The group maintained that providing 100 percent crude oil supply to the refinery would help stabilize fuel production and curb the persistent rise in petrol prices across the country.
COYYM therefore called on the Federal Government to ensure the immediate provision of full crude oil supply to the Dangote Refinery within seven days.
The coalition warned that failure to meet the demand within the stipulated period could lead to mass protests.
It said it would mobilize thousands of members and supporters to occupy major roads and international airports across the Southwest and other parts of Nigeria if the government fails to act.
“We are equally committed to protecting the interest of our dear nation,” the statement added.
