Dangote Refinery Blames NMDPRA’s Former Leadership for November Petrol Import Surge
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has accused the former leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NMDPRA) of approving petrol import licences that exceeded domestic demand in November 2025.
The refinery’s response follows reports claiming that petrol imports surged during the period due to a pricing dispute between petroleum marketers and the Dangote refinery, allegedly leading to a breakdown in supply arrangements.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, the refinery dismissed the claims, insisting that no supply agreement with marketers collapsed.
Addressing the spike in petrol imports recorded in November, the refinery said the increase coincided with import licensing decisions taken by the former NMDPRA leadership, which it said “sanctioned volumes beyond prevailing domestic demand.”
According to the refinery, the situation had nothing to do with its production capacity or supply commitments to the domestic market.
Dangote refinery explained that its entry into the downstream sector was deliberately designed to respond to growing demand while improving access, competition and operational efficiency.
The refinery said supplies to marketers began in October 2025 with an agreed offtake volume of 600 million litres of petrol. This was increased to 900 million litres in November and later expanded to 1.5 billion litres in December, in line with market growth and absorption capacity.
Following market liberalisation, the refinery said petrol supply was opened to all eligible marketers, bulk consumers and filling station operators.
Since December 16, 2025, the refinery noted, it has consistently dispatched between 31 million and 48 million litres of petrol daily from its gantry, depending on market demand. It added that these figures are verifiable through depot and loading records maintained under regulatory supervision.
To broaden participation and improve distribution efficiency, the refinery said it implemented several measures, including reducing the minimum purchase requirement from two million litres to 250,000 litres and offering a 10-day credit facility backed by bank guarantees.
The refinery also rejected claims that marketers pulled out over pricing concerns, maintaining that its ex-gantry prices are competitive, market-driven, aligned with import parity benchmarks, and fully compliant with regulatory and quality standards.
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has also opposed the continued importation of petrol into the country and denied reports linking the November import surge to a breakdown in supply arrangements with the Dangote refinery.
IPMAN said the reports do not reflect the experience of its members.
Speaking on the matter, IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Garima, said marketers fully support the refinery and have had no issues with product supply.
“Since supply began, marketers have consistently lifted products without any complaints,” he said. “We oppose continued importation because Dangote Refinery has the capacity to meet the country’s entire PMS demand.”
Garima added that IPMAN members are satisfied with the reliability of supply and welcomed the refinery’s commitment to direct delivery to filling stations across the country.
