… says NMDPRA lacks lab facilities to detect substandard petrol imports
“Dangote refinery lowers fuel price benchmark to N960 per litre for ships, as against NNPC’s N971” – Chiejina, spokesperson
Oredola Adeola
Dangote Refinery has accused the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), and other marketers of conspiring with international traders to import substandard products and lease a nearby depot to blend and release these products into the market, allegedly to compete with the refinery’s high-quality output.
Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer made this known in a press statement released on Sunday.
He said, “At the same time, an international trading company has recently hired a depot facility next to the Dangote Refinery, with the objective of using it to blend substandard products that will be dumped into the market to compete with Dangote Refinery’s higher quality production.
According to him, that action is detrimental to the growth of domestic refining in Nigeria.
Dr. Joseph Obele, Publicity Secretary of PETROAN, in a recent statement confirmed the plans by the association to import cheaper fuel at an estimated N800 per liter—significantly lower than Dangote Refinery and NNPC prices—pending regulatory approval
Yakubu Suleiman, National Assistant Secretary of IPMAN, in a recent interview on Arise Television stated that members of the association choose more affordable petrol from other depots across Nigeria, as high logistical costs make purchasing from Dangote Refinery, where fuel is priced at N995 per liter, less profitable.
Sulaiman emphasised that it is more expensive to buy premium motor spirit (PMS), adding that crude oil prices are coming down internationally, but Dangote’s rate was N995 per litre, with additional costs for transport and depot fees, making it difficult for IPMAN members to sell to end users.
Meanwhile, Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer in the statement released on Sunday said, “The company had lately refrained from engaging in media fights, but we are constrained to respond to the recent misinformation being circulated by IPMAN, PETROAN, and other associations.
“Both organisations claim that they can import PMS at lower prices than what is being sold by the Dangote Refinery.
“We benchmark our prices against international prices, and we believe our prices are competitive relative to the price of imports.
He further explained that if any of the marketers claim they can land PMS at a price cheaper than what we are selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low-quality products into the country, without concern for the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles.
Chiejina alleged that the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) unfortunately, does not even have laboratory facilities that can be used to detect substandard products when imported into the country.
He said, “Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per litre for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks.
“This set the benchmark for our pricing, and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per litre for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per litre for sale into trucks.
“In good faith, and in the interest of the country, we commenced sales at these prices without clarity on the exchange rate that we will use to pay for the crude purchased.
Chiejina emphasised that it is common for countries to protect their domestic industries to provide jobs and grow the economy.
He said, “For example, the US and Europe have had to impose high tariffs on EVs and microchips in order to protect their domestic industries.
“While we continue with our determination to provide affordable, good quality, domestically refined petroleum products in Nigeria, we call on the public to disregard the deliberate disinformation being circulated by agents of people who prefer us to continue to export jobs and import poverty,” Chiejina said.
