The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Western Zone, has announced it would shut down all operations from Monday, September 8, citing the alleged threat of monopoly by Dangote Refinery and MRS Energy Ltd in the downstream petroleum sector.
The decision was taken at a zonal council meeting on Saturday, which brought together council members, officers, depot chairmen, and secretaries from across the South West, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The strike is also in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over job security concerns for petroleum tanker drivers.
Speaking to NAN in Ibadan, Chief Oyewole Akanni, Chairman of IPMAN Western Zone, said the entry of Dangote Refinery and MRS Energy into petrol distribution threatens the survival of IPMAN members’ businesses.
“The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Western Zone, says it will shut down operations from Monday, Sept. 8, to protest what it described as attempts to monopolise the downstream sector.
The resolution was reached on Saturday at a zonal council meeting, which brought together council members, officers, depot chairmen, and secretaries across the five depots in the South West. The Chairman of the zone, Chief Oyewole Akanni, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan after the meeting,” the NAN report read in part.
It added, “Akanni said the planned entry of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company into petrol distribution, alongside MRS Energy Ltd, posed a serious threat to the survival of IPMAN members’ businesses.’
Akanni noted that IPMAN members operate over 4,000 trucks, warning that many drivers and motor boys risk losing their jobs and that thousands of members’ investments could be jeopardized.
He argued that the move violates the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which bars companies that refine crude oil from directly distributing products, describing it as a flagrant breach of the law.
The chairman stressed that the strike is a collective decision, with all council members, officers, depot chairmen, and secretaries expected to comply, ensuring no stations open from Monday.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery is rolling out its nationwide fuel distribution initiative to directly supply petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel to filling stations, industrial plants, and large-volume consumers, aiming to eliminate middlemen and resolve logistics bottlenecks.
With the new fleet, Dangote Refinery plans to meet Nigeria’s daily demand of 65 million liters of refined petroleum products, comprising 45 million liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 15 million liters of diesel, and 5 million liters of aviation fuel.