Sell Fuel For Us At Cheaper Rate, Open Supply Channels – Marketers Tell Dangote

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has urged the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to ensure wider access and affordability of its fuel supply, emphasizing that transparent distribution would help eliminate fuel queues nationwide.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, the association’s spokesperson, Ikem Ohia, dismissed reports of a rift with the refinery but insisted that marketers were only asking for fairness.

“Our key interest is to have petroleum products offered at reasonable prices consistently, in a way that there’s no stock-out and Nigerians no longer queue for fuel,” Ohia said.

Ohia acknowledged Dangote as the dominant supplier but questioned the model of restricting supply to a few selected partners.

“The question is: at what price does he offer us, and do we actually have access to purchase these products from him?” he asked.

He noted that for over two decades, DAPPMAN members had built strong distribution networks with depots in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, and urged Dangote to take advantage of these facilities.

“What we are asking Dangote to do is to use these depots that are already in existence for us to meet the demands of Nigerians,” he added.

Responding to claims that marketers were lobbying for subsidies, Ohia maintained that their concerns were purely commercial.

“We are businessmen; he is a businessman. We’re not asking for subsidies. We went into negotiations and are still negotiating to see how he can bridge the gap,” he said.

He argued that, globally, refineries rely on bulk supply to off-takers as well as retail sales, and Nigeria should not be an exception.

“Ideally, refineries emphasise bulk evacuation through off-takers who can lift massive quantities and allow continuous production. Relying only on retail gantry sales cannot meet national demand,” the oil marketer said.