The Dangote Refinery has rejected claims by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), that its petroleum products are overpriced, describing the other claim that its products are of poor quality, compared to imported ones as a gross misrepresentation of the reality of the market.
The controversy began when IPMAN and PETROAN alleged that they could import Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at prices lower than those offered by the Dangote Refinery, sparking concerns over domestic fuel pricing.
According to Dangote Refinery’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, these claims misrepresent the reality of the market.
Chiejina emphasised that Dangote Refinery’s prices are competitively aligned with international benchmarks, ensuring both quality and affordability for Nigerian consumers.
“If anyone claims to import PMS at prices significantly lower than ours, it raises serious questions about the quality of the product they’re bringing in,” Chiejina stated.
He warned that such low-cost imports are likely substandard, potentially compromising public health and vehicle performance, noting that these products could be part of an effort by international traders to dump inferior fuel in Nigeria at the expense of the environment and consumer safety.
Compounding this concern, Chiejina highlighted a critical gap in regulatory oversight, noting that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) lacks the necessary laboratory infrastructure to effectively test for substandard imports effectively, pointing out that without adequate quality control, the risk of low-grade fuel flooding the Nigerian market becomes an imminent threat, Dangote says.
In a bid to support market stability following the recent deregulation, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) initially set PMS prices at N971 per litre for marine sales and N990 for truck sales. Reflecting its commitment to affordability and local economic growth, Dangote Refinery said it subsequently lowered its marine sale price to N960 per litre while maintaining N990 for truck sales.
Chiejina emphasised that these adjustments were introduced with Nigeria’s best interests in mind, even in the face of foreign exchange uncertainties impacting crude oil purchases.
In a related development, Chiejina revealed that a foreign trading company recently secured a depot adjacent to the Dangote Refinery with plans to blend and distribute low-quality fuel in Nigeria.
He pointed to this as a deliberate attempt to undercut the domestic refining industry, noting that such actions undermine efforts to build a robust local economy.
He referenced similar protective measures adopted by the United States and European countries, where tariffs on electric vehicles and microchips have safeguarded local industries from foreign competition.
“We are steadfast in our mission to provide Nigerians with affordable, high-quality, domestically refined fuel,” Chiejina affirmed, calling on the public to disregard what he described as a “deliberate disinformation campaign” aimed at destabilising local refining efforts and perpetuating dependence on imported fuel.
