The Dangote Refinery has accused the previous management of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of issuing import licences that caused petrol imports to surpass domestic demand in November 2025.
In a statement on Friday, the refinery’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, clarified that there was no collapse of supply agreements with marketers. He explained that the surge in imports coincided with import licensing decisions by the former NMDPRA leadership, which approved volumes exceeding local consumption levels.
The refinery emphasised that the situation was unrelated to its production capacity or supply commitments. It noted that its involvement in the downstream market was designed to meet growing demand while improving access, competition, and efficiency.
Dangote Refinery said supplies to marketers began in October 2025 with an agreed offtake of 600 million litres of petrol, which rose to 900 million litres in November and 1.5 billion litres in December, reflecting market growth and absorption capacity. Since December 16, the refinery has consistently dispatched between 31 million and 48 million litres daily, depending on demand, with all figures verifiable from depot and loading records under regulatory supervision.
To enhance distribution, the refinery introduced measures including lowering the minimum purchase quantity from two million litres to 250,000 litres and offering a 10-day credit window supported by bank guarantees.
The refinery also rejected claims that marketers pulled out due to pricing concerns, stating that its ex-gantry prices remain competitive, market-driven, aligned with import parity benchmarks, and compliant with regulatory and quality standards.
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) expressed opposition to continued petrol imports, asserting that Dangote Refinery has the capacity to meet the country’s entire fuel demand. IPMAN’s national president, Abubakar Garima, said marketers have consistently lifted products without complaints and fully support the refinery.
