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The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, on Monday, frowned at the pricing of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol, from the Dangote Refinery above imported fuel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
The oil marketers urged the NNPCL to ensure it is not sold at a higher price than imported fuel, arguing that it would be counterproductive to do so, as it would hurt the country’s quest for energy self-sufficiency and negatively impact both the consumers and marketers.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief breakfast programme on Monday,John Kekeocha, IPMAN’s National Welfare Officer, reasoned that the pricing strategy for locally refined petrol should reflect the advantages of domestic production and offer the people Nigerians a more affordable option.
He added that competitive pricing was imperative for the Dangote Refinery to succeed and the fostering of a sustainable fuel market in the country.
Kekeocha said the celebration over Dangote Refinery would be senseless if the NNPCL sells the Dangote products higher than the imported products.
The lifting of petrol from the 650000 barrels per day refinery began on Sunday when NNPCL lifted the first batch.
However, controversy has trailed the landmark achievement when the NNPCL said Dangote sold the petrol to them at N898 per litre.
This was promptly refuted by Dangote.
Anthony Chiejina, spokesperson of the company in a statement late Sunday described the NNPCL claim as “misleading and mischievous”.
The statement read: “It should also be noted that we sold the products to NNPCL in dollars with a lot of savings against what they are currently importing. With this action, there will be petrol in every local government area of the country regardless of their remote nature.”
NNPCL maintained it’s claim and went ahead to release a breakdown of pricing it sells Dangote petrol at its filling stations across the country.
Before lifting petrol from the Dangote Refinery on Sunday, petrol was sold for about N855 at NNPCL retail outlets in Lagos but a litre of Dangote petrol now sells for N950 per litre in Lagos and as high as N1,019 in Borno.
Dangote Refinery before now has commenced supply of diesel and aviation fuel to marketers nationwide.
