According to information obtained by The PUNCH, petroleum marketers have begun registering with the Dangote Petrochemical Refinery prior to loading premium motor spirit, which Nigerians anticipate from the facility this month.
The marketers are applying to receive direct fuel delivery from the oil refinery by registering as individual business owners.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, which represents its members who might not be able to purchase a significant amount of petrol from the refinery, announced that it would carry on negotiations with the firm in order to secure bulk supplies.
Aliko Dangote, the president of the Dangote Group, announced last month that his refinery will stop importing petrol into Nigeria and that the company would start selling PMS in June.
Dangote gave a speech at the Africa CEO Forum Annual Summit that was held recently in Kigali, Rwanda. He was upbeat about the continent’s energy situation.
“Right now, Nigeria has no cause to import anything apart from gasoline and by sometime in June, within the next four or five weeks, Nigeria shouldn’t import anything like gasoline; not one drop of a litre,” he declared
“We have enough gasoline to give to at least the entire West Africa, diesel to give to West Africa and Central Africa. We have enough aviation fuel to give to the entire continent and also export some to Brazil and Mexico.”
“We have started producing jet fuel, we are producing diesel, and by next month, we’ll be producing gasoline. What that will do, it will be able to take most African crude,” Dangote told the panel.
Dangote’s remarks seemed to be a comforting salve to marketers who have been unable to import fuel for an extended period of time.
The news is heartening to independent marketers because, up until now, they have relied on outside parties to purchase petrol at a premium price for their dispersed filling stations across the nation.
The National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, voiced his satisfaction in a May interview with our correspondent, adding, “The Dangote refinery can satisfy our needs as far as petroleum products are concerned, especially petrol.”
The IPMAN leader expressed the eagerness of marketers to start lifting fuel from the refinery, saying, “We are all waiting, we are eager for the commencement of the lifting on petroleum products from Dangote refinery, especially petrol”.
The marketer emphasised that since the product would no longer be imported, the private refinery will end Nigeria’s fuel shortage.
Fashola called on the corporation to think about collaborating directly with the association rather than individual members, clarifying that IPMAN as an organisation does not currently have a deal with the Dangote refinery for the supply of premium motor spirit.
Given that IPMAN controls more than 80% of the filling stations in Nigeria, he said, IPMAN ought to be a stunning bride before Dangote.
Plans were finalised, according to Fashola, to meet with Dangote and talk about potential price reductions. He informed The PUNCH that they would meet with Dangote to discuss bulk purchasing and a possible discount.
The IPMAN leader said, “We have our letter with them, we are expecting their response, and we will surely do a follow-up. The letter was sent about a month ago and we are going to follow up. We are just like a ready-made market for Dangote. It is an advantage for him to have us in his programme. I believe that he would like to have us.”
He added that the association would request a discount during the meeting with Dangote.“You know when you come together as a group, you have that negotiating power on your strength. There is no way we will not negotiate for a discount. That is why we don’t encourage individual company participation,” he stated.
While it appears the proposed meeting with Dangote has yet to materialise, Fashola informed our correspondent on Sunday that individual marketers are already applying for the product.
Asked if IPMAN had met with Dangote, he replied, “No, but we have started registering individually with the company.”
Replying to whether the marketers were no longer interested in meeting the company’s president, he said, “Discussion is still going on it.”
