The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has denied assertions by fuel marketers suggesting it cannot satisfy domestic fuel demand, citing that the facility possesses sufficient fuel reserves to cater to Nigeria’s energy needs, with surplus available for export to foreign markets.
This response followed comments made by Aliko Dangote, the refinery’s founder, who alleged that certain powerful groups, including major marketers and traders, are working against the success of the $20 billion facility.
In reaction, Olufemi Adewole, Executive Secretary of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), said that marketers are simply trying to sustain their businesses by continuing to import petroleum products.
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While Adewole rejected the claim of a ‘cabal’ within the downstream sector, he acknowledged that there are vested interests among private depot operators.
He said that these businesses have committed billions of naira over time to ensure a consistent fuel supply to Nigerians.
Adewole further claimed that, despite its large-scale capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the Dangote refinery has yet to meet even the currently reduced level of domestic fuel consumption, insisting that private depot owners still shoulder the majority of the fuel distribution responsibilities across the country.
Adewole said: “Quoting the authority’s (NMDPRA) chief executive in his recent presentation at the Villa, he stated that the Dangote refinery is not meeting up to even the reduced local consumption volume.
“So, for now, the Dangote refinery cannot meet up. It is we, the private depot owners, that have been bridging the gap and meeting the needs of Nigerians.”
A senior executive at the Dangote Refinery revealed that the refinery continues to export fuel to other countries even after fulfilling domestic supply requirements.
The official stated that the facility dispatches millions of litres of fuel daily and questioned how marketers concluded that the refinery is unable to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand.
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He further claimed that the country’s fuel consumption data has been manipulated over the years to serve different interests, particularly during the era of fuel subsidies, and expressed confidence that the actual consumption figure will eventually be made public for Nigerians to see.
“I have seen different reports where the marketers alleged that our refinery could not meet local demands. That is not true. We produce more than enough fuel for the local market, and we export,” the official said.
