Some petroleum importers have accused the Dangote refinery of selling petrol to international traders at lower prices than to Nigerian marketers.
The Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) confirmed the development in separate exclusive interviews by The PUNCH.
The Dangote refinery recently announced a cut in petrol prices from N865 to N841 per litre in Lagos and the South West, and N851 in Abuja, Edo and Kwara, alongside the rollout of its direct fuel distribution scheme.
DAPPMAN Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, said members of the group had been forced to buy Dangote’s petrol from international traders in Lomé, Togo, at cheaper rates.
He noted that attempts to source directly from the refinery had been unsuccessful.
Adewole told Sunday PUNCH:
“Dangote is selling to international traders at N65 lower than what he offers in Nigeria, or how is it possible for some of our members to buy from someone who bought from Dangote?
“Dangote sells to international traders at N65 cheaper than what he is selling to us. In some instances, we were able to buy from those people and still bring it to Nigeria. They will take the product to Lomé, claiming that they are buying large quantities.”
PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, backed DAPPMAN’s position.
“Exactly, DAPPMAN said the correct thing. It is true. We don’t want to be saying everything. But the way things are going, one day we will say everything,” he said.
But the refinery dismissed the allegations, suggesting the marketers were behind recent labour attacks against it.
A spokesman said:
“We now know who is behind NUPENG. Our free delivery starts Monday.”
DAPPMAN also faulted the refinery’s repeated price cuts, saying they were timed to hurt importers with active cargoes.
Adewole argued that it was unfair for Dangote to give discounts to foreign buyers while offering higher rates to domestic marketers.
On the refinery’s “free delivery” scheme, DAPPMAN claimed marketers were compelled to lift 25 per cent of allocations directly from the refinery using Dangote-owned trucks at commercial rates, adding that this undermined competition.
The group further noted that despite its scale, the refinery was only supplying 30-35 per cent of national demand, with other marketers still playing a crucial role in stabilising the downstream sector.
Meanwhile, Dangote has announced the rollout of compressed natural gas-powered trucks from Monday, aimed at cutting logistics costs and driving down fuel prices nationwide.
