Depot Owners Accuse Dangote Of Selling Products Cheaper To International Markets

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has accused Dangote Refinery of selling petroleum products astatine cheaper prices to planetary markets than to section marketers, challenging claims that the refinery sufficiently supplies Nigeria’s home substance needs.

According to DAPPMAN, the refinery presently meets lone 30 to 35 per cent of nationalist petrol demand, with the remaining 65 per cent imported by marketers, including its members.

In addition, it added that the refinery offers products astatine cheaper prices to planetary markets than it sells to section marketers.

In a elaborate relationship issued by DAPPMAN enforcement caput Olufemi Adewole, connected Saturday, the Association said, “While we invited the Dangote Refinery arsenic a large infrastructure project, its publication has peaked astatine lone 30 to 35 per cent of nationalist demand.

DAPPMAN dismissed insinuations that Dangote refinery provides capable home merchandise supply.

The Association besides said the assumed escaped merchandise delivery, which the refinery intends to commence, is not wholly true.

“The equilibrium continues to beryllium supplied by liable petroleum merchandise marketers, including DAPPMAN members, who import and administer nether strict regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).”

He said DAPPMAN has watched with dismay the unfolding tensions betwixt the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and portion the substance whitethorn not straight interest our Association, the Association is alarmed by the tone, trajectory, and escalation of this issue.

“Beyond the reputational risks to assorted marketplace participants, we are profoundly acrophobic astir the imaginable interaction this whitethorn person connected mean Nigerians, peculiarly successful a downstream situation inactive stabilising post-deregulation.

“As liable and long-standing stakeholders successful Nigeria’s downstream sector, we consciousness compelled to supply clarity connected respective inaccurate oregon misleading claims made successful the nationalist abstraction — claims which, if near unchecked, could mislead the nationalist and diminish the corporate contributions of different players that person ensured nationalist substance availability for decades.”

The Executive Secretary pointed retired that the assertion that Nigeria’s downstream stableness rests solely connected 1 refinery is misleading and dismissive of the broader ecosystem.

Adewole added that for decades, DAPPMAN marketers person ensured uninterrupted substance entree crossed the country, investing successful depots, trucking fleets, retail networks, and logistics and doing truthful adjacent done periods of forex pressure, subsidy transitions, insecurity, and economical downturns, insisting that these contributions merit recognition, not erasure.

He went connected to authorities that the claims that the Dangote Refinery’s repeated substance terms reductions are patriotic gestures disregard their timing and marketplace impact.

‘These reductions were often strategically timed erstwhile different importers had progressive cargoes astatine oversea oregon successful tank, creating terms shocks that undermined contention and imposed fiscal strain connected chap marketplace participants, including the refinery’s home customers.

‘Even much concerning is the refinery’s signifier of offering little prices to planetary buyers portion quoting higher rates to section offtakers,” helium added.

He said this contradicts public-facing claims of prioritising Nigerians and places an unnecessary load connected home businesses already operating nether choky margins.

“We cull immoderate insinuation that DAPPMAN members woody successful ‘substandard’ petroleum products. All imports are taxable to independent, regulator-accredited laboratory investigating successful accordance with NMDPRA protocols and planetary prime standards.

“Ironically, the aforesaid refinery alleging superiority has connected aggregate occasions sought waivers to administer products with sulphur levels supra approved thresholds, a information that calls into question its consistency and credibility connected merchandise quality.”

The DAPPMAN caput noted that Nigeria’s downstream petroleum marketplace is highly regulated, transparent, and aligned with planetary champion practices. Attempts to uncertainty different compliant players’ integrity are unfair and inaccurate.

He said. The assertion that the refinery offers “free delivery” is besides misleading.

“In reality, marketers are required to assistance astatine slightest 25 per cent of their allocations straight from the refinery gantry and indispensable bash truthful utilizing lone Dangote-owned trucks, paying commercialized rates based connected their destination.

“This statement imposes further logistical and fiscal burdens connected marketers, limits operational flexibility, and underm...