‘It’s incorrect’ — oil marketers deny boycotting Dangote refinery

Oil marketers under the aegis of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) have faulted claims that they are not purchasing refined petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Speaking during an X space organised by Nairametrics on September 11, Devakumar Edwin, vice-president of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), said due to the low patronage, the Dangote refinery is forced to export 97 percent of its refined products.

However, in a statement on Saturday, Olufemi Adewole, executive secretary of DAPPMAN, said petroleum marketers have lifted 518,500 metric tonnes (MT) of aviation fuel and automotive gas oil (AGO), also known as diesel from Dangote refinery.

Adewole said the products lifted from the refinery represent 60 percent of national truck-outs in five months.

He said documents sourced from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that independent local marketers, including Asharami, MRS Oil and Gas, AA Rano,  Rainoil, Prudent, NIPCO, Aym Shafa and Danmarna, among others, have patronised Dangote refinery over the past months.

According to Adewole, the oil marketers’ patronage reinforces the group’s commitment to ensuring seamless access to petroleum products in Nigeria.

“Further analysis of the transactions which occurred between April and September showed marketers lifted 489,500 MT of AGO and 29,000 MT of Jet A1 distributed across various Nigerian ports, with 17 AGO shipments to Lagos, 6 to Warri, 2 to Port Harcourt, and 1 to Calabar,” Adewole said. 

He said all three Jet A1 (aviation fuel) shipments were discharged in Lagos.

However, the oil marketer said the lack of clarity bordering the availability of Dangote refinery’s petrol, remained an impediment to patronage within the local market.

Adewole said the sector needs to operate transparently in a manner that allows all stakeholders to flourish and contribute significantly to ensuring the “availability, reliability and accessibility of petroleum products nationwide”.

‘WE’RE WAITING FOR CLEARANCE ON OFFTAKE OF PETROL FROM DANGOTE REFINERY’

Also, Adewole said the alleged boycott of Dangote refinery’s petrol was incorrect.

He said petrol marketers were still awaiting clearance from the government on the modalities regarding the offtake of petrol from the refinery.

“DAPPMAN as evidenced by patronage of various products from the Dangote Refinery by its members believes firmly in meeting Nigeria’s energy needs, and remains aligned to calls for the nation not to end up in a monopoly, which will only jeopardise our economic growth and development,” the oil marketer added.

Adewole said DAPPMAN and other marketers had consistently maintained that the trading of petroleum products globally relies on the critical issues of price and quality. 

“Offtake will, in keeping with the laws of demand and supply, gravitate towards sources where products can be bought at a lower price, better quality and seamless accessibility,” he said.

The oil marketer said DAPPMAN would continue to work assiduously towards ensuring the sector’s viability while providing the country with excellent fuel options.