Some fuel importers and depot owners have raised alarm over what they describe as a double standard by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, accusing the company of selling petrol to international traders at ₦65 cheaper per litre than the price offered to local marketers.
The Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) claimed the practice was undermining competition and putting local businesses at risk.
The Executive Secretary of DAPPMAN, Olufemi Adewole, revealed that many of their members had bought petrol from Lomé, Togo, where international traders supplied at prices lower than those quoted by Dangote to Nigerian marketers.
“Dangote is selling to international traders at ₦65 cheaper than what he is selling to us. In some instances, we were able to buy from those people and still bring it to Nigeria. They will take the product to Lomé, claiming they are buying large quantities,” Adewole said in an interview with The PUNCH.
He added that repeated requests for supply allocations had either been ignored or tied to conditions that make business unprofitable, forcing importers to look elsewhere.
Marketers Demand Discounts
Adewole further argued that Dangote’s pricing model placed domestic players at a disadvantage.
“Dangote has to give us a discount for freight cost and other expenses between his jetty and our depots. Without this, we can’t sell competitively. People will continue to import if it’s cheaper abroad,” he insisted.
On his part, the President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, backed DAPPMAN’s position, confirming that the refinery’s products were indeed cheaper in Togo than in Nigeria.
“Exactly, DAPPMAN said the correct thing. It is true. We don’t want to be saying everything. But the way things are going, one day we will say everything,” Gillis-Harry said.
Dangote Refinery Reacts, Denies Claims
However, in a swift response, the Dangote Refinery dismissed the allegations, suggesting that DAPPMAN was behind the recent labour tension with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), which accused the company of anti-union practices.
“We now know who is behind NUPENG. Our free delivery starts Monday,” A spokesman for the refinery told journalists on Sunday.
The official also questioned why marketers now sourced fuel from Lomé, asking, “When did they stop buying from Russia and Malta?”
Adewole accused the refinery of using strategically timed price cuts to destabilise the market. He recalled that Alhaji Aliko Dangote once vowed to slash prices whenever importers brought in cargoes, forcing competitors into financial distress.
He described Dangote’s repeated reductions as “calculated moves to stifle competition” rather than patriotic interventions, noting that international buyers were given better deals than Nigerians.
Naijapunchnews reports that DAPPMAN insisted that Nigeria’s downstream sector cannot rely on a single refinery.
“While we welcome the Dangote refinery as a major infrastructure project, its contribution has peaked at only 30 to 35 per cent of national demand. The balance continues to be supplied by responsible petroleum product marketers who import and distribute under strict regulation,” Adewole stressed.
He further criticised the refinery’s “free delivery” scheme, claiming marketers were forced to lift 25% of allocations using only Dangote-owned trucks at commercial rates, which added hidden costs.
Refinery to Roll Out CNG Trucks, Slash Prices
Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery confirmed that it would begin deploying compressed natural gas (CNG) powered trucks on Monday as part of its logistics-free distribution initiative.
The company said the rollout would reduce the gantry price to ₦820 per litre, with the expectation of lower pump prices across key states.
The pricing row comes amid a brewing face-off between Dangote and NUPENG, which recently threatened to embark on strike, accusing the refinery of blocking drivers from joining unions.
DAPPMAN said while the matter did not directly involve them, they were “alarmed by the tone and escalation of the crisis,” warning that the dispute could worsen fuel supply stability in a fragile downstream market.
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