The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has questioned Dangote Group’s assertion that it holds a reserve of 500 million litres of petrol, readily available to meet the nation’s demand. Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, recently announced that his 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery in Lagos has enough fuel in stock to supply the country for 12 days without relying on imports.
However, IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Maigandi, disputed this claim, stating that independent marketers have faced challenges loading fuel from the refinery. Maigandi explained that some IPMAN members, deployed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to lift fuel from Dangote’s facility, were unable to load their trucks for four days despite having already paid N40 billion to NNPCL for fuel allocations.
Maigandi voiced his concerns during an appearance on Channels TV, where he called for a more direct sales arrangement between the refinery and independent marketers. According to him, bypassing NNPCL could simplify and expedite the process, making it easier for marketers to obtain fuel directly from the refinery rather than facing delays under current procedures.
In response to Dangote’s earlier statement urging marketers to buy directly from his refinery, Maigandi expressed a willingness to do so if they are granted direct access. “We are ready to buy the product from Dangote if he is ready to sell it to us directly,” Maigandi stated, emphasising IPMAN’s desire to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure more efficient fuel distribution to the public.
Dangote had assured that the refinery’s 500-million-litre stockpile could meet Nigeria’s fuel needs, especially in times of low imports, but IPMAN’s challenges cast doubts on the practicality of this solution.
