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The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has acknowledged that with the full deregulation of petrol pricing and the withdrawal of NNPC Limited as the sole off-taker from the Dangote Refinery, marketers are now free to source products from various suppliers, including through imports.
An industry expert noted that the NNPC no longer deals directly with associations like IPMAN, but rather with companies that have applied and paid for petroleum products.
This development follows the NNPC’s recent 15 percent hike in the pump price of petrol, raising it to N998 per liter in Lagos and N1,030 per liter in Abuja.
Speaking to newsmen, IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer, Chinedu Ukadike, stated that marketers would now source products wherever prices are lower, allowing them to remain competitive also added that the current petrol pricing situation is unclear, with marketers not fully informed before key decisions are made.
Earlier, IPMAN President, Abubakar Shettima, demanded a refund of N15 billion from NNPC Limited for petrol orders placed by independent marketers that were not fulfilled. Shettima, in an interview with newsmen insisted that if NNPC’s pricing remains higher than that of the Dangote Refinery, the company must refund these payments.
