As noted by Vanguard, a source close to the refinery questioned the logic of investing heavily in premium domestic production only to have those products blended with questionable imports and tied back to Dangote’s name. Another source emphasized the necessity of a distinct separation between refinery-produced goods and third-party imports or blends to prevent market-wide quality failures from being incorrectly blamed on the facility.

Additionally, Dangote is reportedly uneasy that companies continue to import petrol despite expanded domestic production, pointing to data showing that imported fuel accounted for roughly 43 percent of total supply in July—a trend the refinery argues restricts the local market share for Nigerian refiners. Consequently, insiders indicate the facility will pivot to prioritizing marketers who do not hold import licences, potentially cutting off supply to those continuing to import under the federal government’s approved framework.

The six companies holding active import licences granted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) are:

• Matrix Energy

• A.A. Rano

• AYM Shafa

• NIPCO

• Pinnacle Oil and Gas

• Bono Energy

These permits, distributed in May, span a total volume of 720,000 metric tonnes, with individual company quotas ranging from 60,000 to 150,000 tonnes.

Reflecting on the match, Fizdale emphasized that securing the fifth victory was vital to keeping them in contention, noting that reaching five wins places them within striking distance for the upcoming window. Stellar individual performances fueled the victory, led by Caleb Agada, who racked up 26 points—including eight three-pointers from 11 attempts—along with six assists in under 24 minutes, crucially halting a fourth-quarter push by Cape Verde. Josh Okogie narrowly missed a triple-double with 15 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals; Ike Nwamu contributed 14 points; and Chimezie Metu added 12 rebounds, six points, and four assists.

Fizdale also highlighted the team’s long-awaited improvement from beyond the arc after struggling with their shooting accuracy in earlier games. The D’Tigers will now look ahead to the final qualifying window scheduled for February 2027, where the leading two teams in each group, alongside the best third-placed side, will secure their spots at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.