The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised alarm over what it described as an unrealistic demand from the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), which is seeking an annual subsidy of ₦1.505 trillion to enable members to match the refinery’s gantry prices at their depots.
According to Dangote, the marketers are asking for a ₦70 per litre discount to cover coastal freight, levies paid to agencies such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in addition to a ₦5 per litre discount to offset pumping costs into vessels. With daily consumption volumes estimated at 40 million litres of petrol and 15 million litres of diesel, the annual subsidy would amount to more than ₦1.5 trillion.
The refinery, however, insisted it cannot shoulder such a huge financial burden. Dangote stressed that its products are already available at competitive gantry prices for marketers willing to lift directly from its facility, adding that it will not adjust its rates or provide additional subsidies to cover coastal logistics.
Company officials further alleged that its refusal to meet these demands has triggered public criticism and media attacks against the refinery.
Dangote also revealed that it holds a monthly closing stock of about 500 million litres of refined products and has exported more than 3.2 million metric tonnes of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel between June and September this year. In contrast, marketers imported 3.687 million metric tonnes of fuel within the same period. The refinery described this practice as “dumping,” accusing certain institutions of undermining local production and sabotaging efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy.
While reiterating its capacity to meet domestic demand, Dangote warned that yielding to DAPPMAN’s demand would cripple its operations and reintroduce a subsidy regime that government had already phased out.
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