One week after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) commenced loading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, independent petroleum marketers are yet to receive the product.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), which operates over 70 percent of the filling stations across the country, revealed that despite the NNPC’s commencement of loading petrol from the $20 billion Lekki-based plant, its members have not been supplied.
Speaking on the matter, IPMAN National President, Abubakar Maigandi, confirmed the delay. “We are waiting to start,” Maigandi said when asked whether independent marketers had started receiving the product from the Dangote refinery.
NNPC had officially announced the loading of petrol from the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Sunday, with the release of 16.8 million liters of petrol. This was slightly lower than the 25 million liters per day initially expected from the refinery.
Despite the initial rollout, independent marketers remain without access to the fuel. NNPC has reportedly directed its petrol supply to major marketers under specific agreements, leaving IPMAN members waiting for their share of the product.
“We have not started getting Dangote fuel from NNPC,” said Chief Ukadike Chinede, National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN. “NNPC is still serving us with their imported products, and they haven’t communicated anything regarding Dangote’s supply.”
Ukadike noted that independent marketers are eager to access the fuel from Dangote, stressing that they remain willing buyers and are waiting for further instructions from NNPC.
“Currently, only NNPC mobilized trucks are picking up petrol from Dangote, leaving us to continue using the imported products,” Ukadike added. He expressed optimism that once there is an adequate supply of petrol, prices could decrease.
Meanwhile, major oil marketers confirmed they had started lifting petrol from Dangote refinery at a cost of N766/litre, with the product being sold to them by NNPC. However, the exact price at which Dangote sold the petrol to NNPC remains undisclosed, despite recent controversies over pricing claims.
NNPC had initially stated it purchased petrol from Dangote at N898/litre, but the refinery denied this, calling the figure misleading.
