The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to allocate at least 30 per cent of petrol supplied under the current discount initiative to its members to improve distribution and access to cheaper fuel nationwide.
PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry made the request during an interview with Arise News, saying independent filling stations could help extend the benefits of the intervention to more Nigerians.
He explained that the association’s wide network of retail outlets could complement the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) distribution system, reduce queues at its stations and improve fuel availability in communities across the country.
Gillis-Harry said the proposed allocation was a minimum and could be increased depending on the agreement reached with NNPC. Under the proposal, if one billion litres of petrol were supplied through the discount arrangement, PETROAN members would receive 300 million litres for distribution.
He stressed that the association was not seeking free petrol. Rather, its members would pay NNPC for the product and sell it through their outlets at reduced prices.
According to him, independent marketers cannot afford to completely forgo their profit margins, unlike NNPC, which has agreed to sacrifice part of its retail profit under the temporary initiative. Access to discounted supplies would enable PETROAN members to lower their pump prices while covering their operating expenses.
The association believes distributing the product through more filling stations would also prevent excessive queues at NNPC outlets and make the price relief available in areas with fewer retail stations.
Gillis-Harry rejected claims that the discount arrangement amounted to a return of petrol subsidy. He argued that the initiative involved NNPC reducing its profit margin rather than the government paying the difference between the cost of obtaining petrol and its selling price.
He also questioned the proposed plan to place a ceiling of ₦1,350 per litre on petrol landing costs, warning that a fixed benchmark might become unsuitable if market prices declined.
The PETROAN president said the government should focus on supporting businesses and improving distribution so that consumers could benefit from lower fuel prices.
He added that the association was awaiting the Federal Government’s response and expressed optimism that its proposal would be approved. If accepted, PETROAN said its members would sell the discounted petrol at prices comparable to those offered at NNPC retail stations.
