IPMAN Backs Dangote Refinery, Rejects Fuel Imports as Supply Disruption Claims Emerge
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has thrown its weight behind the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, dismissing claims that fuel supply disruptions from the facility forced a spike in petrol imports in November 2025.
In a strong rebuttal, IPMAN rejected continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), insisting that local supply from the Dangote Refinery has been sufficient, reliable, and capable of meeting national demand.
The association described reports linking increased imports to an alleged collapse in supply arrangements between the refinery and petroleum marketers as misleading and inconsistent with the experiences of its members nationwide.
Speaking on the matter, IPMAN National President, Abubakar Maigandi Shettima, said independent marketers have consistently lifted PMS from the Dangote Refinery without disruption since supply commenced.
“Our members fully support Dangote Refinery. Since supply began, marketers have consistently lifted products without any complaints. We oppose continued importation because Dangote Refinery has the capacity to meet the country’s entire PMS demand,” Shettima said.
He added that IPMAN members welcomed the refinery’s decision to deliver products directly to filling stations, describing the move as a critical step toward stabilising distribution, reducing logistics bottlenecks, and ultimately benefiting consumers.
According to him, access to locally refined products has eased nationwide supply pressures, strengthened confidence among independent marketers, and reinforced IPMAN’s long-standing advocacy for domestic refining as the most sustainable solution to Nigeria’s downstream petroleum challenges.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery also dismissed the supply disruption claims, describing them as inaccurate and baseless. In a statement, the refinery clarified that no supply agreement with marketers had collapsed and that its engagement with the downstream market was deliberately structured to scale with demand.
The refinery disclosed that supply under the marketers’ arrangement commenced in October 2025 with an agreed offtake of 600 million litres of PMS. This was increased to 900 million litres in November and further expanded to 1.5 billion litres in December, in line with market absorption capacity.
“Daily PMS loadings from our gantry have ranged between 31 million and 48 million litres since December 16, 2025, depending on market demand. These figures are verifiable through depot and regulatory loading records,” the refinery said.
To improve access and inclusion, the refinery reduced minimum purchase volumes from two million litres to 250,000 litres and introduced a 10-day credit facility backed by bank guarantees. These measures, it explained, were designed to enhance liquidity, support small and medium-scale operators, and reduce dependence on imported fuel.
Addressing concerns about pricing, the refinery stated that its ex-gantry prices remain competitive and aligned with import parity benchmarks, while meeting all regulatory and quality standards.
On the rise in petrol imports recorded in November, Dangote Refinery explained that the increase coincided with import licences approved by the previous leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which sanctioned volumes beyond prevailing domestic demand.
The refinery reaffirmed its commitment to consistent supply, transparency, and collaboration with regulators and stakeholders to strengthen domestic refining, conserve foreign exchange, stabilise pump prices, and enhance Nigeria’s long-term energy security.
