Dangote Refinery's free petrol distribution earns praise from marketers

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has lauded the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for its ongoing free petrol distribution scheme, which now includes Imo, Anambra, and other states. IPMAN believes this initiative significantly alleviates the financial and operational difficulties faced by independent petroleum marketers across the country.

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This gesture, if sustained, will be able to alleviate the sufferings of independent marketers. 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.

According to IPMAN's National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, the free distribution program is crucial for ensuring that petroleum products reach consumers at more affordable prices. He highlighted that the initiative helps mitigate the financial strain on marketers, who often face delays in loading products after payment, leading to cash flow problems and hardship.

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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.

"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," Ukadike stated. He added that the program also reduces the risks associated with transporting fuel over long distances, as marketers can now receive supplies closer to their operational areas.

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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.

IPMAN commended Dangote Refinery's management for the initiative and appealed for its expansion to more states, particularly in northern Nigeria. This extension, they argue, would foster greater uniformity in petroleum product prices throughout the nation, thereby reducing the overall hardship Nigerians face. Ukadike described the program as a prime example of the benefits derived from deregulation and competition within Nigeria's downstream petroleum sector.

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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.