Fresh controversy as Dangote Refinery snubs oil marketers on direct petrol lifting

The Dangote 650,000 barrels per day Lagos-based refinery has ignored oil marketers’ call on direct lifting of its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi and the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association, PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry disclosed this to DAILY POST exclusively in separate interviews.

This comes as a report emerged on Monday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has quit its role as sole off-takerer of Dangote Petrol.

The development places oil marketers and Nigerians in limbo.

Speaking on the development, Maigandi said all efforts put forward by IPMAN to meet with Dangote Refinery’s management have not yielded results.

“Up till today (Monday) we have not had a meeting and feedback from Dangote Refinery on direct sales of its fuel.

“We cannot talk about the price of Dangote Petrol since we have not been able to buy it directly,” he said.

He noted that there would be a reduction in the price of petrol which currently goes between N950 and N1,200 per liter if Dangote Refinery agrees to sell the product directly to oil marketers.

“There will be a small reduction in price if Dangote refineries sell petrol to us directly”, he added.

When asked how much NNPCL sells petrol to its marketers, “NNPCL sold petrol to us at N840 and N870 per liter depending on the location. We sell at N950 in Abuja depending on the location.”

Speaking on NNPCL quitting role as sole off-taker of Dangote Petrol, Maigandi stressed that, “We’re waiting to hear from Dangote Refinery”, on whether we can lift petrol directly.

On his part, Gillis-Harry re-rechoed Maigandi’s position on Dangote Refinery’s refusal to sell its petrol directly to marketers.

According to him, despite attempts by petroleum marketers to have business discussions with Dangote Refinery, they have not received the green light.

“We have attempted to have a business discussion with Dangote Refinery on direct petrol lifting but as of today, they have not given us greenlight”, he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina when contacted by DAILY POST correspondent on the matter, said, “I am not aware”.

On September 15, the Dangote Refinery announced the inaugural distribution of its petrol with NNPCL as the sole buyer.

Upon the lifting of Dangote Petrol last month, had announced a fresh fuel price hike between N950 and N1,100 per litre across its retail outlets.

The fuel price adjustments came on the back of NNPCL stance that it bought Dangote petrol at N898 per liter, however, Dangote disagreed.

The oil firm, owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote had hinted that its petrol pump price would be announced by the Presidential Implementation Committee on Naira-for-crude sales.

However, despite the kick-off of the Naira-for-crude with the expected supply of 24 million barrels by October and November 2024 by the Nigerian government, the price per liter of Dangote Petrol has remained a subject of controversy.

Last month, the House of Representatives urged Dangote Refinery to allow oil marketers to lift its petrol directly.

Earlier, refiners and marketers had hinted that the commencement of the Naira-for-crude sales deal with Dangote Refinery and other refineries would lead to a drop in the pump price of petrol.