Marketers Knocks Dangote Refinery Over Alleged Opposition To Petrol Importation

Petroleum oil marketers have criticized Dangote Refinery for its position regarding the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as fuel or petrol.

In an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Bill Gillis-Harry, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association (PETROAN), expressed his views stating that no refiners, marketers, or retailers can instruct the Nigerian government to cease petrol imports.

Furthermore, he said that all oil and gas sector participants should be permitted to operate freely within the industry to foster healthy competition.

“I don’t think any refiner or importer or retail outlet owners have the locus to ask the Federal Government to stop attending to any part of the business.

“Every participant in the sector should be freely allowed to participate,” he said.

Reports previously indicated that Dangote Refinery had petitioned an Abuja High Federal High Court to annul the petrol import licenses held by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other petroleum marketers.

Nevertheless, in a recent update, the Dangote Group has clarified that the situation has since evolved, rendering the case moot.

Dangote Announces ‘New’ Investment To Support Tinubu’s Govt

Meanwhile, the President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has announced his company’s recent support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

During a recent gathering, Dangote highlighted the company’s investments in CNG to support Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) as outlined in the Paris Agreement, which targets achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

According to Dangote, the investment exceeding $280 million not only reinforces the company’s position as a leader in the CNG sector but also demonstrates its commitment to addressing climate change and facilitating a shift towards a low-carbon economy.

He said this was targeted at supporting the incumbent administration in its bid to transition from petroleum products to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

In his remark, Arvind Pathak, Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement Plc, noted that the investment is focused on acquiring a fleet of 100% CNG trucks to convert its entire fleet to CNG.

He said: “By mid-2026, Dangote Cement intends to operate a fleet primarily powered by CNG. To support this transition, we are investing in the expansion of our CNG fuelling infrastructure, ensuring that our growing fleet has dependable access to CNG as its fuel source.”

He also emphasized that the company’s investments in CNG infrastructure have positively influenced Nigeria’s transition to cleaner fuel alternatives.

Furthermore, he highlighted the CNG station in Obajana, which can refuel more than 3,000 trucks, as a testament to this commitment, noting that plans for a second station in Ibese are in progress to improve fleet operations further.