By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, has met with key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to discuss ways to implement the directive of President Bola Tinubu on the sale of crude oil in Naira to local refineries.
Some days ago, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited was ordered to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery and others in Naira after the controversies that trailed the supply of the commodity.
At the meeting with Mr Edun were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri; the chief executive of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari; the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Zacch Adedeji; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Jafiya.
According to a statement on its official X page, the Finance Ministry said the meeting was held on Monday in Abuja, stating that it is intended to strengthen the domestic economy and support the sustainable operations of local refineries, including the Dangote Refinery.
“On Monday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, led a key meeting aimed at implementing President Tinubu’s directive for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to sell crude oil to local refineries in Naira,” the post read.
“This initiative is intended to strengthen the domestic economy and support the sustainable operations of local refineries, including the Dangote Refinery.
“The meeting brought together important stakeholders, including Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Jafiya, and other notable participants,” it added.
It was revealed that during the in-depth discussions, Mr Edun expressed strong confidence in the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to achieve the directive’s objectives.