The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has announced it is still in discussions with the Dangote Refinery about starting direct petrol supply.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the refinery, raised concerns that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other marketers have been importing petrol from overseas refineries instead of sourcing from his facility. He emphasized that his refinery currently holds 500 million liters of petrol, enough to meet Nigeria’s needs.
However, IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, told *Vanguard* that independent marketers have not yet begun sourcing directly from the Dangote Refinery, but negotiations are ongoing. “We haven’t received products from Dangote Refinery yet, but the processes are underway, and I’ll update you once they’re finalized,” he stated.
Ukadike also mentioned, “The product isn’t available to independent marketers yet. I think he (Dangote) is adopting a systematic marketing approach, but our discussions are progressing.”
In related news, Ukadike noted that the recent petrol price hike by NNPCL should not come as a surprise. He explained, “People shouldn’t be surprised. Deregulation is driven by demand and supply factors, and your supply source will dictate the selling price.”