The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for selling petrol sourced from the Dangote Refinery at a higher price than imported fuel.
The National Welfare Officer of IPMAN, John Kekeocha, expressed this concern during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.
He questioned the logic behind the price disparity, asking, “If NNPC can sell Dangote products higher than the imported products then it doesn’t make sense. What is the celebration we are having all these while then?”
The NNPCL began distributing petrol from the Dangote Refinery on Sunday, revealing that it procured the product at ₦898 per litre.
Prior to this, NNPCL retail outlets in Lagos sold imported petrol for around ₦855 per litre. However, the cost of Dangote’s petrol is now ₦950 in Lagos and ₦1,019 in Borno.
In response, the Dangote Refinery denied selling petrol to NNPCL at ₦898 per litre.
A spokesperson for the refinery, Anthony Chiejina, called the claim “misleading and mischievous,” emphasizing that the products were sold in dollars, resulting in savings compared to imported fuel.
Chiejina added that this would ensure petrol availability across the country, even in remote areas.
Despite the refinery’s denial, the NNPCL stood by its pricing claim and challenged Dangote Refinery to publicly disclose the actual selling price.
Naijaonpoint earlier reported that the NNPCL also released a detailed breakdown of the pricing for Dangote-sourced petrol at its filling stations nationwide.