The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has rejected reports claiming that its members stopped lifting Premium Motor Spirit, or PMS, from Dangote Refinery. IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, made the clarification in an interview on Monday.
Ukadike was responding to claims that emerged earlier in the day, which suggested that IPMAN operators had halted petrol procurement from the Dangote facility after the refinery began selling refined petroleum products in dollars. He said the allegations were inaccurate and that marketers have continued taking deliveries from the plant.
“It is not true. Our members never suspended petrol lifting from Dangote Refinery,” Ukadike said. He added that petroleum marketers are still drawing products from the refinery’s 700,000-barrel-per-day operations, contradicting the narrative that lifting had been paused.
Beyond the immediate dispute, Ukadike pointed to broader uncertainty in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, saying it has become harder for marketers to plan and operate effectively. He urged the federal government to put in place the right mechanisms to start discussions with Dangote Refinery aimed at restarting naira-denominated trading of refined petroleum products.
Last week, Dangote Refinery resumed the sale of refined petroleum products using dollars, a move that has fed into wider volatility in Nigeria’s retail petrol market. Reports indicate that petrol prices have climbed by more than N100 per litre in less than a week, reaching a range of between N1,155 and N1,280 per litre in Abuja and surrounding areas.
