The Federal Government has instituted an immediate ban on the importation of oil pipelines into Nigeria, delivering a major victory for domestic manufacturers and potentially transforming the country’s oil infrastructure landscape. Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, announced the landmark decision Thursday during the launch of Monarch Alloys’ advanced 33LPE and concrete weight coating facility in Lagos State’s Ikorodu area.
In a direct message to regulators, Lokpobiri instructed the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board to cease issuing waivers for Chinese pipeline imports, stating bluntly: “Under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, dumping will be no more. We have a duty to support our industries to grow and render the services that are relevant to the survival and sustainability of the oil and gas industry.”
The minister highlighted Nigeria’s aging pipeline infrastructure—with some systems operating well beyond their 60-year lifespan—as a critical vulnerability limiting the nation’s oil production potential. “Nigeria can easily produce 3 million barrels of oil per day, but the challenge is that the pipelines are old,” he explained, adding that this creates opportunity for investment in midstream and downstream sectors.
Atul Chaudhary, CEO of Monarch Alloys, celebrated the policy shift, noting his company has grown to become a leading domestic steel producer with capacity to handle 2 million square meters annually and process up to 500 pipes daily. NCDMB Executive Secretary Felix Ogbe praised the development as “a testament to what is possible when private enterprise aligns with national vision, and when local capacity is not only developed but demonstrated with confidence.”
Source: punchng.com
