Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised alarms about a new depot adjacent to its facility, allegedly hired by an unnamed international trading company to blend substandard petroleum products in Nigeria. The company claims this depot is set up to dump low-quality fuel into the market, potentially harming unsuspecting consumers and the nation’s refining industry.
Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Group’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, issued a statement asserting that the operations at this depot threaten public safety. This announcement follows claims from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and other groups that imported fuel is cheaper than that produced by the Dangote refinery.
The refinery emphasized that any marketer selling petrol at prices lower than their current rates is likely importing substandard products in collusion with international traders. According to recent reports, Dangote’s petrol prices range from N1,015 to N1,028 per litre, prompting marketers to consider importing fuel to sell below these rates.
In response to these developments, Dangote’s statement indicated that they have refrained from public disputes but felt compelled to counter the misinformation spread by industry associations. They stressed that their pricing is competitive and aligned with international benchmarks.
Chiejina noted that the refinery sells petrol at a lower price of N960 per litre for ship deliveries and maintains N990 for truck deliveries, following the deregulation of the sector. He called attention to the absence of functional laboratory facilities at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which impedes the detection of substandard products.
The Dangote refinery remains committed to providing quality domestically refined petroleum products while encouraging the public to disregard disinformation propagated by those wishing to undermine local industry.
