Lagos, Nigeria—The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has taken a firm stand against the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into the country, throwing its full weight behind the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The association also moved to quell what it termed misleading reports suggesting a breakdown in supply arrangements between the 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery and local marketers.
For decades, Nigeria has remained trapped in a cycle of fuel importation, a trend IPMAN now describes as unsustainable given the current domestic refining capacity.
Addressing the media on Saturday, IPMAN National President, Abubakar Maigandi Shettima, dismissed claims that a recent surge in petrol imports was due to a rift with the refinery.
“Our members fully support Dangote Refinery. Since supply began, marketers have consistently lifted products without complaint.
“We oppose continued importation because Dangote Refinery has the capacity to meet the country’s entire PMS demand,” Shettima declared.
The controversy stems from data showing a sharp spike in fuel imports during November 2025.
While some analysts attributed this to marketers abandoning local products for cheaper imports, both IPMAN and the Dangote Group have clarified that the reality is far more nuanced.
Responding to the import data, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery dismissed claims of a collapsed deal as baseless.
In a statement, the refinery’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, explained that the November import surge was actually the result of legacy licensing.
According to the refinery, the former leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had sanctioned import volumes that far exceeded domestic demand.
These excess imports, the refinery argued, were unrelated to its production capacity or its relationship with marketers.
Setting the record straight on its output, the refinery announced a significant expansion of operations.
Supply to the market began in October 2025 with an offtake of 600 million litres, rising to 900 million litres in November, and hitting a staggering 1.5 billion litres in December.
To ensure the benefits of local refining reach the last mile, Dangote Refinery overhauled its distribution model. It recently lowered the minimum purchase threshold from two million litres to 250,000 litres, allowing smaller independent marketers to buy directly rather than through middlemen.
Furthermore, the refinery introduced a 10-day credit facility backed by bank guarantees to ease liquidity constraints for local businesses.
"We have opened PMS supply to all qualified marketers, bulk consumers, and filling station operators.
“Since December 16, 2025, we have consistently loaded between 31 million and 48 million litres daily,” the statement read.
IPMAN’s leadership emphasised that the refinery’s commitment to direct delivery to filling stations is a game-changer for price stability.
By bypassing expensive depot fees and middle-tier logistics, marketers believe retail prices can remain competitive and significantly lower than imported alternatives.
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