Marketers are pushing for direct access to Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Dangote refinery, criticizing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) firm grip on the market.
The NNPC has agreed to purchase petrol from Dangote at N766 per litre, causing concerns among marketers who feel left out of the deal.
Marketers are worried that this could lead to a new domestic monopoly in the oil and gas sector.
The Dangote refinery has announced plans to distribute petrol to marketers starting September 15, 2024, with an initial 25 million liters per day.
However, marketers are still unclear about the pricing template and matrix, and are calling for transparency in the transaction.
A major marketer, who spoke to newsmen in confidence due to lack of authorization to make a note on the matter, said; “What we are going to see based on the deal between NNPC and Dangote is similar to the DSDP (Direct Sale of crude oil and Direct Purchase of petroleum products) transactions that used to exist between NNPC and foreign refineries in the past.
“And this has really impacted positively on the price of petrol that Dangote is selling to NNPC, because the cost is around N766/liter, but I can’t tell how much NNPC is going to sell to marketers now.”