The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has clarified that its members are not in conflict with the Dangote Refinery but are only asking for fuel to be made affordable and accessible to the wider market.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, the association’s spokesperson, Ikem Ohia, said marketers want a transparent supply system that guarantees steady distribution and ends the long queues at filling stations.
“Our interest is simple – Nigerians should get fuel at fair prices without having to queue endlessly. That is why we are asking for products to be supplied consistently and at reasonable rates,” Ohia explained.
He noted that for more than two decades, DAPPMAN members have built an extensive distribution network with depots in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, as well as retail outlets across the country. According to him, using these facilities would help the refinery meet national demand more effectively.
“What we are asking Dangote to do is to work with us as bulk off-takers. Refineries worldwide rely on bulk supply to keep production going. Relying only on retail gantry sales will not serve the market,” he added.
Ohia dismissed suggestions that marketers are seeking subsidies, stressing that discussions with the refinery are focused purely on fair pricing and access. “We are businessmen, and so is he. This is about closing the gap, not subsidy,” he said.
The call comes as Dangote rolls out 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks for nationwide distribution, an approach marketers warn could give the refinery too much control of the downstream sector.
Industry stakeholders remain divided. The President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gilly-Harris, argued that 4,000 trucks alone are insufficient to guarantee steady supply, while billionaire investor Femi Otedola urged marketers to adjust to new realities and even consider taking over the Port Harcourt Refinery instead of opposing Dangote’s strategy.
In response, the Dangote Refinery has insisted that its fuel prices are based strictly on production costs and regulated margins. It dismissed DAPPMAN’s claims of a hidden ₦1.5tn subsidy as “false and unfounded,” adding that transportation costs must be borne by marketers since fuel subsidy was abolished by the Federal Government in May 2023.
The debate underscores the battle for balance in Nigeria’s oil downstream sector—between the country’s largest private refinery and marketers who say they only want a fair shot at supplying the nation.
