The Dangote 650,000 barrels per day refinery in Lagos has yet to respond to oil marketers’ request to directly purchase Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.
Leaders from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria expressed their frustration over the refinery’s silence in separate interviews with ‘Daily Post.
This comes amid reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has ceased its role as the exclusive buyer of petrol from Dangote Refinery.
The decision has left oil marketers and Nigerian consumers in uncertainty, raising concerns about future fuel supply arrangements.
IPMAN President, Abubakar Maigandi, disclosed that despite repeated attempts, IPMAN has been unable to secure a meeting with the refinery’s management.
“Up till today (Monday) we have not had a meeting and feedback from Dangote Refinery on direct sales of its fuel,” Maigandi said.
He further noted that without direct access to the refinery’s products, it is impossible to comment on the pricing of Dangote’s petrol.
Maigandi suggested that allowing oil marketers to buy fuel directly from the Dangote Refinery could lead to a reduction in petrol prices, which currently range between N950 and N1,200 per liter.
“There will be a small reduction in price if Dangote refineries sell petrol to us directly,” he added.
Currently, the NNPCL sells petrol to marketers at prices ranging from N840 to N870 per liter, depending on the location, with petrol prices in Abuja hovering around N950 per liter.
Despite the NNPCL stepping back from its role as the sole off-taker, Maigandi emphasized that the marketers are still awaiting communication from Dangote Refinery to determine whether they can start lifting petrol directly.
The President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, echoed Maigandi’s sentiments, confirming that despite multiple efforts, the refinery has yet to engage with oil marketers.
“We have attempted to have a business discussion with Dangote Refinery on direct petrol lifting but as of today, they have not given us green light,” he stated.
When reached for comment, Dangote Group’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, said, “I am not aware,” providing no further clarity on the matter.
On September 15, Dangote Refinery announced the start of petrol distribution with NNPCL acting as the sole buyer.
Following the initial lift, petrol prices surged, ranging from N950 to N1,100 per liter across NNPCL outlets.
Although NNPCL stated that it purchased Dangote petrol at N898 per liter, Dangote Refinery reportedly disagreed with the pricing.
The refinery, owned by Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, previously indicated that its petrol pump prices would be determined by the Presidential Implementation Committee as part of the Naira-for-crude oil exchange.
Despite the Naira-for-crude initiative, which expects the Nigerian government to supply 24 million barrels by October and November 2024, the exact price of Dangote Petrol remains unresolved.
In September, the House of Representatives called on Dangote Refinery to permit oil marketers to directly lift its petrol, a move that many industry experts believe could help ease the pump price.
Industry observers had initially anticipated that the Naira-for-crude sales agreement with Dangote Refinery, along with other refineries, would result in a drop in fuel prices, though the expected relief has yet to materialize.
