By Ayomide Otitoju
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has stated that its members currently rely solely on the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), citing limited local production from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) refineries.
In an interview on Sunday, Olufemi Adewole, Executive Secretary of DAPPMAN, said the association’s members are eager to lift products from the Dangote facility but have been unable to purchase in bulk due to restrictive supply arrangements.
According to Adewole, the NNPC’s Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are not yet producing PMS optimally, as their output is largely naphtha and not sufficient for commercial off-take.
“The NNPC refineries are producing naphtha and not PMS. Our members won’t go there for now. Where we can get PMS is the Dangote refinery,” he stated.
Adewole noted that while the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) allows marketers to import fuel, DAPPMAN prefers sourcing locally to reduce costs and improve supply efficiency. However, the Dangote refinery currently operates a selective supply model, dealing only with a few marketers and prioritizing gantry-level distribution.
“We pick in bulk—15 to 25 metric tonnes—and want to load vessels. But if Dangote doesn’t open the portal, we’ll resort to importing, as permitted by law,” he said.
Adewole expressed concerns about whether the Dangote refinery is ready to sell to all marketers. “We’ve had meetings with Dangote management, and we’re still negotiating. Our goal is to get the best price for Nigerians without being shortchanged.”
DAPPMAN operates depots nationwide and says it is prepared to distribute PMS and diesel from Dangote, once given the green light.
In a related development, the NNPC maintains that the Port Harcourt refinery is operating at 70% capacity, producing products including diesel, kerosene, and naphtha. However, a report by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in April indicated that the facility was operating below 40%, while the Warri refinery remains shut due to safety issues.
Despite NNPC’s assurances of production from the revamped facilities, marketers remain skeptical, citing lack of transparency and product availability.
