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Why retailers, marketers dump Dangote Refinery petrol for import – Stakeholders

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Petroleum Products Retailers and marketers have explained why petrol imports have persisted despite the Dangote Refinery and other local refineries’ production capacity.

The President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association and the Chairman, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry and Tunji Oyebanji in an exclusive interview with Ekwutosblog on Monday cited fear of healthy market competition, competitive pricing and inadequate petrol production capacity as reasons for the product’s continued import.

This comes amid the National Bureau of Statistics’ foreign trade data showing that petrol imports surged by 105 percent to N15.4 trillion at the end of 2024.

 

Similarly, the report indicated that fuel imports hit N930 billion in February 2025 alone, raising concerns among stakeholders in the country’s downstream sector.

Recall that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said that Dangote Refinery, Port Harcourt and Warri refineries met only 50 percent of the national petroleum products consumption requirement in February 2025. #

However, in a statement last month, the president of Dangote Refinery countered NMDPRA and insisted that the $20 billion Refinery can meet 100 percent of Nigeria’s 100 percent petroleum production requirements.

Nigerians are now left in limbo amid the controversy as NNPC said it has not imported petrol so far in 2025.

Meanwhile, Gillis-Harry and Oyebanji in their insights to Ekwutosblog put clarity to the debate.

Speaking, Gillis-Harry insisted that petroleum retailers get their products from all sources, including Dangote Refinery, NNPC and import.

 

According to him, petrol retailers will continue to get fuel from sources with the best pricing to avoid a monopoly of the country’s petroleum downstream.

He frowned at a situation where the refinery would reduce fuel prices overnight without due consultation with its partners and retailers.

Gillis-Harry added that healthy competition and price stability must be guaranteed in Nigeria’s downstream sector for the good of Nigerians.

“Retailers are not running away from Dangote Refinery. We patronize every refinery, but we subscribe to full liberation so that we will not run a monopolized downstream sector.

“A situation where one refinery is shifting prices up and down without consideration of retailers is uncalled for.

“We cannot buy a product at N889, and over the night, the prices are dropped to N825, which is unfair.

“We continue to buy petrol from all sources that are profitable to us, either NNPCL, Dangote Refinery or through import”, he told Ekwutosblog.

On his part, Oyebanji explained that local refineries such as Dangote Refinery were not meeting 100 percent of domestic demand- the reason for fuel import to augment the vacuum.

According to him, if local refineries produced enough to meet the domestic market and with competitive prices, no right-thinking businessman would import.

“The report circulated today was for 2024. I don’t understand why it is being played up in the media as if it is new.

“Seems it is to advance a particular agenda. I don’t think local refineries are meeting 100 percent of local demand.

“So, to prevent shortages, some importation is being allowed, but to give the impression that such importation is growing isn’t correct.

“NNPCL, which has been the largest importer up to last year, has confirmed that they have not imported and yet someone is pushing this narrative.

“If local refineries produce enough to satisfy local demand and sell at a competitive price, then no right-thinking businessman will import”, he told Ekwutosblog.

Recall that earlier this month and last month, NNPC and Dangote refineries reduced petrol prices to between N860 and N880 per liter.

The development sparked a price war among the bigwigs in the country’s downstream sector, as Nigerians now buy petrol between N860 and N970 per liter nationwide.

On October 15, 2024, 650, 000 barrels per day, Dangote Refinery kicked off supply of petrol.

At the same, NNPC restarted petrol production at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries in November and December 2024.

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NNPCL retail outlets, others reduce fuel price

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Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has reduced its premium motor spirit price.

Ekwutosblog correspondent who went round NNPCL retail outlets in Abuja on Tuesday gathered that state-owned firms have also slashed their petrol pump price to N895 per litre from N910.

This comes as NNPCL filling station along Kubwa Expressway, Wuse Zone 4, Wuse Zone 6 (Berger), and other locations in Abuja visibly adjusted their fuel pump price to reflect the new price.

 

The reduction represents an N15 downward petrol price review in NNPCL retail outlets.

NNPCL is not alone in the petrol reduction; Dangote Refinery’s retail partner, MRS filling stations in Abuja, also reduced their petrol price by N25 to N885 per litre from N910.

Similarly, other filling stations in Abuja, such as Ranoil and Empire Energy, also reduced their petrol pump prices to N910 and N915 per litre on Tuesday from the previous N920 and N935.

The development comes hours after Ekwutosblog exclusively reports that Nigerian Petroleum Products Marketers announced a plan to slash petrol prices to between N900 and N920 per litre in Abuja.

Recall that Dangote Refinery reduced its ex-depot petrol price twice this July so far.

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Private or public, let the refineries work – IPMAN to FG, NNPCL

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The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Port Harcourt Depot Unit, has stressed that the Port Harcourt Refinery requires more than periodic rehabilitation, calling instead for a “consistent and experienced management focused on functionality and long-term sustainability”.

The position was made known in a statement signed on June 12, 2025, by the Chairman of IPMAN Port Harcourt Depot Unit, Tekena Thankgod Ikpaki.

The association was reacting to a recent statement by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, who hinted that the Federal Government may consider selling some of its refineries as a solution to persistent rehabilitation and efficiency challenges.

Ikpaki noted that as major stakeholders in the downstream oil sector, petroleum marketers fully understand the strategic importance of the Port Harcourt Refinery, not just for Rivers State and the Niger Delta region, but for the Nigerian economy as a whole.

He observed that the brief resumption of operations at the refinery in November 2024, followed by another shutdown in May 2025 for maintenance, once again underscored the lingering operational and technical issues affecting Nigeria’s refineries.

Ikpaki, however, stated that it is less concerned about who manages the facility and more focused on ensuring the refinery functions optimally.

He said, “Whether the facility remains under the direct control of the NNPCL or is eventually handed over to a private entity, the most critical issue for us at this point is ensuring the Port Harcourt Refinery operates at optimal capacity.

“We believe that a fully functional refinery will have far-reaching benefits, offering alternative sources of refined products, stabilizing the domestic market, creating jobs, boosting local content, and contributing to national energy security,” the statement added.

The association appealed to the Federal Government and NNPCL to ensure that any future sale or concession process prioritizes competence and technical proficiency.

IPMAN urged the authorities to “prioritize competence, technical expertise, and a proven track record in refinery operations in selecting any prospective buyer or management partner, should the company proceed with the sale or concessioning process.”

The association emphasized that privatization should not be pursued for its own sake but must lead to measurable improvements in output, performance, and national benefit.

Ikpaki concluded by reaffirming the association’s willingness to collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure a successful transition.

“We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the transition, if and when it happens, will be transparent, accountable, and ultimately beneficial to Nigerians, particularly those of us who operate directly within the value chain,” he said.

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NNPCL: We will conclude review of Port Harcourt Refinery by December – Ojulari

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The Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Bayo Ojulari, has said the state-owned oil firm is planning to conclude its review of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries before the end of December 2025.

Ojuari disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg published on Thursday, at the sideline of the a recent seminar for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

He noted that NNPCL would make a decision on selling the refineries after it had concluded its review process.

According to him, some of the technologies brought in to revamp the refineries have not worked as expected due to the old nature of the plants.

“So our refineries, we have made quite a lot of investment in over the last several years and brought in a lot of technologies. We have been challenged that some of those technologies have not worked as expected so far. As you know, refining a very old refinery that has been abandoned for some time becomes a little bit complicated. So we are reviewing all our refineries strategies now. We hope before the end of the year we will conclude the review.

“The review will lead to us doing things differently.

When asked by Bloomberg whether selling the refineries is an option, Ojulari said, “What we are saying is that a sale is not out of the question; all the options are on the table. That decision will be based on the outcome of the review.

Ojulari’s comments come after NNPCL, on May 24, 2025, announced the shutdown of the Port Harcourt refinery for planned maintenance and sustainability assessment.

In November and December last year, the former GCEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, announced the successful rehabilitation and commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

 

 

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