A week after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) began loading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, most filling stations across the country have yet to receive the product.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), which represents over 70% of fuel stations nationwide, revealed on Saturday that its members had not yet received petrol from the Dangote refinery, despite NNPC’s commencement of loading from the facility.
When asked if fuel distribution had begun, IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Maigandi, said, “We are still waiting to start.”
Last Sunday, NNPC officially commenced loading from the 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity Dangote Petroleum Refinery. At the time, NNPC announced plans to release 16.8 million liters of petrol, which contrasted with earlier statements from the refinery indicating a daily release of 25 million liters.
NNPC’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed that over 70 trucks carrying PMS departed the refinery on the first day, signaling the refinery’s entry into the domestic market. However, independent marketers are yet to access the product, with supply seemingly directed only to NNPC’s retail outlets and major marketers.
Although NNPC is currently the sole buyer of PMS from the refinery, no immediate explanation was provided as to why independent marketers have not been able to access the fuel. IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Ukadike Chinede, also confirmed that members are still awaiting communication from NNPC regarding supply.
Asked about the situation at independent stations, Chinede said, “No, we have not started receiving Dangote fuel from NNPC. Currently, we are still loading imported products from NNPC, and there has been no communication regarding the Dangote supply.”
He explained that NNPC has prioritized supplying Dangote petrol to its own retail outlets and major oil marketers, with independent marketers left out. “Our system is self-pickup; we use our trucks to collect products. If we were included, our trucks would be at the Dangote terminals,” he added.
Despite the challenges, independent marketers remain eager to purchase products from the Dangote refinery. Chinede noted that NNPC has been supplying Dangote’s petrol to major marketers, while independent marketers are still awaiting directives.
On the price of Dangote petrol, Chinede said, “NNPC is selling at N776/liter to major marketers, but they haven’t started selling to independent marketers. When logistics and other costs are added, it’s understandable why prices remain high. However, with increased supply, prices should come down.”
Some major oil marketers confirmed they had started lifting petrol from the Dangote refinery through agreements with NNPC. They said they were purchasing the product at N766/liter from NNPC, though the price at which NNPC acquired the fuel from Dangote remains unclear.
Last week, NNPC’s spokesperson said the company bought petrol from Dangote at N898/liter, but this was denied by the refinery. Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Group’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, called the claim “misleading and mischievous,” stressing that it undermined the refinery’s efforts to alleviate Nigeria’s energy challenges.
