The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has called on Dangote Petroleum Refinery to make fuel supplies more accessible and affordable for marketers to curb persistent fuel queues nationwide.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, DAPPMAN spokesperson Ikem Ohia said that closer collaboration between the refinery and marketers would guarantee consistent supply and stabilize the downstream sector.
“Ohia stressed that marketers are not in conflict with the refinery but are seeking a transparent arrangement that ensures regular distribution at fair prices.
“Our key interest is to have petroleum products sold at reasonable prices consistently so that there’s no stock-out and Nigerians no longer queue for fuel,” he stated.
Ohia noted that while the Dangote Refinery is now the dominant supplier in the country, issues of pricing and access remain unresolved.
“The key question is: at what price are these products offered, and do we truly have access to buy from him?” he asked.
He highlighted that DAPPMAN members have, for more than 20 years, built a strong nationwide distribution network with depots in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. He urged Dangote to leverage these facilities to meet national demand.
“What we are asking Dangote to do is to use these existing depots to help us meet the demands of Nigerians,” Ohia said.
Dismissing claims that marketers were seeking fuel subsidies, Ohia explained that they were negotiating for bulk supply arrangements — a practice common in global refining operations — to enable continuous production and prevent shortages.
“Relying solely on retail gantry sales cannot meet national demand,” he added.
Ohia also disclosed that many DAPPMAN members operate filling stations, some with as many as 300 outlets, but are struggling to meet demand due to restricted access to supply.
“Figures don’t lie. What is currently being supplied does not meet market demand. Bulk deliveries to depots are crucial if we must serve Nigerians effectively,” he emphasized.
Dangote Refinery recently deployed 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for product distribution across the country — a move some marketers say could give the refinery too much control of the downstream sector.
Billionaire businessman Femi Otedola weighed in on Tuesday, urging DAPPMAN to adapt to the evolving market by restructuring and even considering a takeover of the Port Harcourt Refinery rather than resisting Dangote’s model.
Similarly, Billy Gilly-Harris, President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), said the 4,000 trucks would still be insufficient to guarantee nationwide supply.
In response to the ongoing debate, Dangote Refinery reiterated that it will not cover marketers’ logistics costs, insisting that products are sold at its gantry strictly at production cost plus regulated margins.
The refinery also dismissed DAPPMAN’s claim of over ₦1.5 trillion in implicit subsidies as “false and unfounded,” reiterating that petroleum subsidy was abolished by the Federal Government in May 2023.
