IPMAN President Garima expressed surprise at Dangote’s statement about low patronage, asserting that the refinery could better meet local demand by directly registering independent marketers.

Recent statements from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) suggest significant barriers to sourcing fuel from the Dangote Refinery, highlighting what could be a deeper issue in Nigeria’s fuel distribution. This comes in response to Aliko Dangote's recent calls for fuel marketers to patronize his refinery, where he claimed to hold sufficient reserves to meet local demand.
On a recent Sunrise Daily segment on Channels Television, IPMAN President Abubakar Garima alleged that his members were unable to load fuel from the Dangote Refinery, despite paying ₦40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for access. Garima questioned Dangote's earlier statement, which attributed a lack of refinery patronage to marketers’ preference for imported petrol. Instead, he pointed out that IPMAN members were encountering logistical bottlenecks at the Dangote Refinery, hindering their ability to transport fuel from the facility.
According to Garima, some marketers spent up to four days at the refinery waiting to load fuel but were ultimately unable to do so, which he argues undermines Dangote’s assertion of his refinery's readiness to meet local fuel demands. This disconnect, Garima suggests, could be mitigated if the Dangote Refinery directly registered independent marketers, bypassing the NNPCL. He expressed IPMAN’s willingness to support local fuel production, provided that the logistics for direct purchase are streamlined.
Dangote’s Response: Meeting National Demand?
In a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Aliko Dangote reiterated the refinery's capability to address Nigeria’s fuel scarcity, noting over 500 million liters in storage ready for distribution. He pointed to the apparent underutilization of the refinery's stockpile, calling on marketers to shift from imported fuel and leverage local production.
However, the logistical concerns raised by IPMAN underscore potential inefficiencies in the current distribution system. If independent marketers continue to face roadblocks in accessing locally produced fuel, Dangote's vision of self-sufficiency in Nigeria’s fuel supply chain might remain unfulfilled.
The Dangote Refinery, built to address Nigeria’s persistent fuel import reliance, is pivotal in national energy policy. Yet, as evidenced by IPMAN’s latest statements, structural and operational adjustments may be necessary to ensure local fuel production translates into reliable market access. Without resolving these issues, Nigeria’s path to energy independence may face continued setbacks.
For more information about Dangote refinery and operational capacity, read more here: Dangote Refinery Begins Full Operation (wallchartafrica.com)