IPMAN Rejects Petrol Imports, Says Dangote Refinery Can Meet Nigeria’s PMS Demand

IPMAN Rejects Petrol Imports, Says Dangote Refinery Can Meet Nigeria’s PMS Demand

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has strongly opposed the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), insisting that Dangote Petroleum Refinery has sufficient capacity to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand and that reports linking recent import surges to supply failures are misleading.

IPMAN also distanced itself from claims that the rise in petrol imports in November 2025 resulted from a breakdown in supply arrangements between Dangote Refinery and petroleum marketers, describing such reports as inaccurate and inconsistent with the experience of its members.

Speaking on behalf of the association, IPMAN National President, Abubakar Maigandi Shettima, said the commencement of PMS supply from Dangote Refinery has significantly improved nationwide availability.

“Our members fully support Dangote Refinery. Since supply began, marketers have lifted products consistently without complaints. We oppose continued importation because the refinery has the capacity to meet the country’s entire PMS demand,” Shettima said.

He added that IPMAN members are satisfied with the reliability of supply and welcomed the refinery’s plan for direct delivery to filling stations, describing it as a major step toward stabilising distribution and benefiting consumers. According to him, access to locally refined petrol has eased supply pressures and boosted confidence among independent marketers.

In a similar reaction, Dangote Petroleum Refinery dismissed the media reports as baseless, clarifying that no supply agreement with marketers had collapsed. The refinery said its downstream engagement was structured to expand access, boost competition and improve efficiency.

READ ALSO:

• Terrorists Kill Four in Damala Village as Niger State Faces Escalating Violence
• Why Jonathan, I Opposed Tambuwal’s Emergence as Speaker in 2011 — Obasanjo
• BUA Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu Offers $500,000 Reward for Super Eagles’ AFCON Semi-Final Win

The refinery disclosed that PMS supply under the marketers’ arrangement commenced in October 2025 with an agreed offtake of 600 million litres, which rose to 900 million litres in November and further increased to 1.5 billion litres in December.

“In line with market growth and absorption capacity, volumes were scaled up accordingly. Subsequently, in line with downstream market liberalisation, we opened PMS supply to all qualified marketers, bulk consumers and filling station operators,” the statement signed by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, said.

Dangote Refinery revealed that since December 16, 2025, it has been loading between 31 million and 48 million litres of PMS daily, depending on market demand, noting that the figures are verifiable through depot and regulatory records.

To widen participation and improve distribution, the refinery said it reduced minimum purchase volumes from two million litres to 250,000 litres and introduced a 10-day credit facility backed by bank guarantees, aimed at supporting small and medium-scale operators and reducing dependence on imported fuel.

The refinery added that these measures have increased the utilisation of locally refined PMS, enhanced competition and helped moderate pump prices, stressing that its ex-gantry prices remain competitive and aligned with import parity benchmarks.

Addressing the spike in petrol imports recorded in November, Dangote Refinery attributed it to import licences approved by the former leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), noting that the approvals exceeded prevailing domestic demand and were unrelated to its production capacity or supply commitments.

The refinery reaffirmed its commitment to domestic refining, transparency and collaboration with regulators and industry stakeholders to conserve foreign exchange, stabilise prices and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security.

IPMAN Rejects Petrol Imports, Says Dangote Refinery Can Meet Nigeria’s PMS Demand