AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has revealed that its members currently rely solely on the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply, as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) refineries are not yet producing the fuel at optimal levels.
DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, made the disclosure in an interview on Sunday, stating that NNPCL’s refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri are producing naphtha rather than the much-needed petrol.
“The NNPC refineries, both the revamped Port Harcourt and Warri, are not yet optimally producing PMS; they are producing naphtha. Our members will not go to them for now,” Adewole said.
He explained that while DAPPMAN members are eager to lift products from the Dangote refinery, challenges remain around access. According to him, the refinery is yet to fully open up bulk sales to depot owners, preferring a selective approach and gantry-based supply.
“Dangote refinery prefers to work with selected marketers and supply through gantries,” Adewole said. “But we are depot owners. We lift in bulk — typically between 15 and 25 metric tonnes. If the portal is opened and we’re allowed to load our vessels, it becomes much easier for us to patronise the refinery.”
He emphasized that importation would only be a last resort if domestic supply remains inaccessible. “Our preference is to buy locally and sell to Nigerians. But if we can’t get the product from Dangote refinery, the Petroleum Industry Act allows us to import, and we will do so,” he noted.
Adewole added that DAPPMAN members have depots across the country and are ready to lift both PMS and diesel from the Dangote facility — provided the refinery is willing to sell in bulk.
He called for an increase in in-country PMS production to reduce dependence on imports and expand supply options for marketers. “It is not the depot owners’ first choice to import. We would rather buy from local refineries, but the opportunities remain limited for now,” he concluded.
