The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, has raised doubts over recent claims by Aliko Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group, regarding the Dangote Refinery’s current fuel stock and capacity to meet Nigeria’s petrol demand.
Maigandi said this when he appeared on ChannelsTv Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
Dangote had announced that his 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery was ready to distribute premium motor spirit, or petrol, to Nigerian marketers, claiming a reserve of 500 million litres of petrol—enough to supply the nation for over 12 days without the need for imports.
Dangote, speaking after discussions with President Bola Tinubu, urged oil marketers, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to source fuel directly from the refinery.
“We’re more than ready,” Dangote assured reporters at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. “As we speak today, we have 500 million litres in our tanks. Even with no imports or production, this reserve can supply the country for more than 12 days.”
However, Maigandi questioned these assurances, stating that IPMAN members assigned by the NNPCL to load fuel at the refinery in Lagos have faced significant delays. According to him, several marketers have spent up to four days at the refinery with their trucks but have not been able to load petrol.
Despite having paid N40 billion to the NNPCL, these marketers have reportedly encountered obstacles in sourcing the product.
“Just recently, some of my marketers were sent by NNPCL to load at the Dangote refinery,” Maigandi said during an interview on ChannelsTV’s Sunrise Daily.
“These marketers waited with their trucks for four days without being able to load. I was surprised when Dangote said he has over 500 million litres of PMS. We are ready to buy directly from him if he can facilitate it.”
Maigandi also suggested that the refinery could simplify distribution by registering independent marketers directly, rather than requiring them to go through the NNPCL.
“If he (Dangote) is able to sell the product to us directly, we can buy because we have already paid. Right now, we have N40 billion with the NNPCL, yet we can’t source the product,” he emphasized.
This statement from Maigandi has added another layer to the ongoing discussions surrounding fuel supply and the potential impact of the Dangote Refinery on Nigeria’s local demand.
