WATCH THE VIDEO HERE In a recent interview, IPMAN Chairman, Abubakar Maigandi confirmed that the association is still directed to lift oil from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) while it continues its struggles to initiate oil lifting from Dangote Refinery directly. The association has denied previous claims suggesting that it accused Dangote of obstructing its members from acquiring oil directly from the facility. Naijaonpoint understands that reports indicated that the NNPCL would terminate its exclusive offtake agreement with the Dangote Refinery, permitting other marketers to purchase products directly. However, Maigandi told BBC Hausa that it is well understood that the NNPCL remains the exclusive off-taker of oil products from Dangote, with IPMAN members operating in a retail capacity. He underscored that the union is actively collaborating with the leadership of the Dangote Refinery and expressed a positive outlook regarding the negotiations. “As I speak to you, there is no official confirmation that the NNPCL has ceased its role as a middleman in purchasing oil from the refinery. “Just today, NNPCL requested us to send our tankers to the refinery for oil lifting, and we complied. They also submitted our waybills to the refinery. “At this time, we cannot buy oil directly from Dangote; we must purchase it from NNPCL,” Maigandi noted. He emphasized that IPMAN is currently engaged in discussions with the refinery to enable future lifting operations while also pointing out that the government has not eliminated NNPCL from its role as the intermediary in the oil offtake process.The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has stated that, to this very day, it could not buy oil directly from the Dangote Refinery.