Nigerians have been reassured by Abubakar Maigandi, National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), that negotiations with Dangote Refinery regarding a direct gasoline supply from its 650,000 barrel-per-day facility are proceeding smoothly and will soon come to a finish.
Reports state that Maigandi has acknowledged that talks with Dangote Refinery are still going on and expressed confidence that a deal will be reached soon.
Speaking on Wednesday at the task force’s inauguration in Abuja, Maigandi also mentioned that IPMAN had settled its pricing dispute with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and was now concentrating on securing a partnership with Dangote. The task force is intended to monitor and prevent oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, and other malpractices.
We are happy to inform you the arrangements to remove gasoline directly from the Dangote Refinery are almost complete. We are already talking with Dangote and other partners to start direct product sourcing from the refinery now that we have received our money back from NNPCL, according to Maigandi.
He mentioned that the Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General’s participation led to the start of the current negotiations with Dangote Refinery.
The requisite import and off-take licenses for IPMAN have been directed to be issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Since the government completely deregulated the petroleum industry, oil marketers have pushed for direct loading from the Dangote plant.
However, concerns remain about the refinery’s capacity to meet local demand, leading to the possibility of supplementing with imported petrol.
Sources confirmed to The PUNCH that a meeting between oil marketers and Dangote officials earlier this week did not result in a final agreement. Another meeting involving IPMAN representatives is scheduled to take place in Lagos on Thursday to continue discussions.
During his remarks, Maigandi also reiterated IPMAN’s commitment to supporting the government in combating economic saboteurs who undermine the nation’s resources.
He described the newly established task force as a crucial step towards addressing oil-related economic sabotage, which exacerbates the country’s economic challenges.
“Our association plays a pivotal role in the downstream oil sector, accounting for more than 80% of the distribution chain. Therefore, we must tackle the issue of economic sabotage head-on. This task force, formed from members across all 36 states, will work to clear the negative perception that some of our members are involved in these unlawful activities. We are determined to hold all those responsible to account,” Maigandi added
