Petrol Price: Energy Expert Gives Reasons Nigerians Must Choose Dangote Over Marketers

An vigor argumentation expert, Dan Kunle has faulted the absorption of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) to caller petrol terms cuts by the Dangote Refinery, describing the relation arsenic “an force of the state” for failing to put successful section refining capacity.

Speaking connected Arise News TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ connected Tuesday, Kunle said DAPPMAN and its members had wasted years simply “talking and talking” portion ignoring opportunities to mobilise capital, get government-owned refineries and vie with Dangote Refinery.

“Since the pronouncement of President Bola Tinubu abolishing substance subsidy and deregulating the full mainstream-downstream framework, we person expected DAPPMAN and each its members to commencement mobilising immediately,” helium said. “They should person raised caller superior and invested on with Dangote, oregon connected their own. Instead, they did nothing.”

He likened Dangote’s refinery to a caller dawn for Nigeria’s lipid sector.

“The time has breached from darkness, truthful 12 hours of acheronian is over, airy has come. And the airy successful this lawsuit is Dangote Refinery. He has brought airy from the heavens, shed it to earth: fto determination beryllium light, and determination was light. So determination is obscurity to fell anymore,” Kunle declared.

Kunle accused importers of prioritising nett implicit nationalist interest, saying Nigerians would people broadside with Dangote.

“The contented of 2 elephants fighting, honestly, the different elephants are the importers who privation to dump products connected Nigerians. The elephant Nigeria is having contiguous is Dangote, who is offering carrots to the radical of Nigeria, portion DAPPMAN wants to connection scorpion. I don’t spot wherefore Nigerians won’t beryllium with Dangote successful this game,” helium said.

The vigor adept further argued that with its capacity, the refinery could spend to export each of its products astatine competitory planetary prices. “If helium exports everything retired portion they import, it means they are importing inflation. The crippled is conscionable implicit for the section importers,” helium stressed.

Kunle besides warned that DAPPMAN’s nationalist run against Dangote could discourage caller players similar BUA from investing successful refining. “If each this sound continues to distract Dangote and scare distant caller imaginable investors, they volition reenforce Dangote’s presumption arsenic a azygous player. They themselves are not investing, truthful they person go adjacent an force of the state. That is wherever information agencies person to travel in,” helium said.

The comments came amid a fierce standoff betwixt DAPPMAN and the Dangote Refinery.

Recall that Dangote Refinery announced that it would trim petrol prices starting Monday, cutting rates from N865 to N841 successful Lagos and the South-West, and to N851 successful Abuja, Edo, and Kwara. The refinery besides unveiled its nonstop substance organisation strategy to retailers.

Howver, successful a statement, DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, dismissed the determination arsenic a marketplace manipulation tactic.
He said Dangote’s “patriotic” portrayal was misleading, arsenic the refinery slashed prices lone erstwhile different importers had cargoes en route, triggering losses and “financial strain” connected different marketplace participants.

DAPPMAN besides accused the refinery of charging higher rates to home buyers portion offering little prices to planetary customers, contradicting its claims of prioritising Nigerians.

In response, the Dangote Group described DAPPMAN’s allegations arsenic “misleading and inaccurate,” insisting that its operations person positioned Nigeria arsenic the main root of affordable petrol feedstock for West Africa.
The refinery besides accused immoderate marketers of round-tripping, buying its petrol locally, routing it done Togo, and past re-importing it into Nigeria astatine inflated prices.

“It is progressively evident that DAPPMAN and immoderate of its members are disproportionately focused connected importation. What past is the concern rationale down this practice, particularly erstwhile considering the billions wasted connected transporting products from Lomé to Lagos?” the radical said.

Dangote Refinery argued that home partners already bask discounts, recognition facilities, and logistics enactment that guarantee cheaper substance proviso successful Nigeria.