Major petroleum marketers have commenced lifting premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from Dangote Petroleum Refinery under an exclusive agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). This arrangement has authorized NNPCL as the sole distributor of the refinery’s petrol, with the first batch of 16.8 million liters already lifted by NNPCL’s retail unit for distribution to outlets across Lagos and other regions of Nigeria.
One of the major marketers, speaking anonymously, confirmed the development, stating, “We are lifting NNPC’s product from the Dangote refinery, but there’s no direct arrangement between us and the refinery yet.” However, this current lifting arrangement excludes independent marketers, causing frustration within their ranks.
The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Abubakar Garima, confirmed that independent marketers have no access to Dangote fuel under the current agreement. He also revealed that they are still loading fuel at the previous rate of N875 per liter and awaiting the announcement of a new price from NNPCL.
Meanwhile, many petrol stations in Abuja and Lagos remain closed due to delayed supplies, raising concerns over fuel availability. Chief Chinedu Ukadike, the spokesperson for IPMAN, called on Dangote to extend the same pricing terms to independent marketers, urging greater market openness to avoid dependency on imported fuel.
Industry experts, including Dr. Muda Yusuf of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, expressed optimism about the lifting of petrol from Dangote Refinery but emphasized the need for transparency in pricing frameworks and further details on how NNPCL’s arrangement will impact the broader fuel market.
