By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has commended Dangote Petroleum Refinery for extending its free petrol distribution scheme to Imo, Anambra and other states, saying the initiative will ease the financial and operational challenges faced by independent petroleum marketers.
The National Publicity Secretary and Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, gave the commendation while speaking on the impact of the initiative, which he said would help ensure that petroleum products reach consumers at more affordable prices.
Ukadike said sustaining the initiative would alleviate the challenges confronting independent marketers, particularly the financial burden of paying for products in advance and waiting for days or weeks before their orders are loaded.
“This gesture, if sustained, will be able to alleviate the sufferings of independent marketers,” Ukadike said.
“There has been the issue of financial hold-up, whereby marketers pay for products and are not loaded for days and weeks, and they suffer unnecessary hardship bringing the product down.”
He said Dangote Refinery had made the process significantly easier for marketers, enabling them to receive products faster and improve their cash flow.
“This time around, Dangote has made it very, very easy for marketers. Marketers are jubilating, and you will see the return on investment as an independent marketer. Your money will not be tied down,” he said.
According to Ukadike, the initiative had also reduced the risks associated with transporting petroleum products over long distances, as marketers could now receive products closer to their points of operation.
He said the development would ultimately help moderate retail pump prices, as lower distribution and logistics costs could be reflected in the prices paid by consumers.
“You also have less risk, and you have petroleum products at your doorstep. Other consumers will also see that our pump price will not continue to go up. The more Dangote brings down its pump price, the more independent marketers will bring down theirs,” he said.
Ukadike commended the management of Dangote Refinery for the initiative and appealed for its extension to more states, particularly in northern Nigeria, to promote greater uniformity in petroleum product prices across the country.
“We want to commend the management of Dangote Refinery for making this possible, and we are also appealing to them to extend it further to other states, especially those in the northern areas, so that petroleum products will be bought uniformly. This will reduce the hardship Nigeria is facing,” he said.
He described the initiative as a demonstration of the benefits of deregulation and competition in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
“This is the beauty of deregulation and competition,” Ukadike said.
Dangote Refinery has been implementing the free petrol distribution initiative across several states as part of efforts to reduce the impact of fuel price fluctuations and transportation costs on consumers.
The expansion of the scheme to Imo and Anambra has drawn positive reactions from independent marketers, who are seeking wider coverage, particularly in northern states, to further ease distribution challenges and support more stable petrol prices nationwide.
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