Ayiri Emami Says FIRS Misleading Tinubu on 15% Fuel Import Duty

Delta APC chieftain and billionaire businessman, Chief Ayiri Emami, has defended President Bola Tinubu while criticising the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over its proposal for a 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel. Speaking in Abuja, Emami warned that the policy  though approved by the President was ill-timed and could worsen economic hardship for ordinary Nigerians.

The FIRS had argued that the new tariff would protect local refineries, strengthen the downstream oil sector, and promote the use of the naira in crude oil transactions. But Emami, who heads the A & E Group, insisted that the measure would only push fuel prices higher and hurt the masses rather than marketers. “Whatever tax you put on fuel comes back to the people. Nigerians are hungry and struggling,” he said.

He urged the President to suspend the policy until the government provides more relief to citizens, warning that rural and riverine communities particularly those reliant on fishing and transport  are already reeling from fuel costs. “When you buy fuel, it determines whether you can even go out to fish. The problem isn’t that the fish are gone, it’s that we can’t afford to reach them,” he said.

Emami maintained that Tinubu’s intentions were genuine but suggested that some advisers and agencies may be misleading him.

“Some people don’t care about the President or the people; they just want to create more problems,” he said.

The new duty, approved on October 21, 2025, is projected to raise petrol prices in Lagos to nearly ₦964 per litre, according to government estimates.