The Impartial Petroleum Entrepreneurs Affiliation of Nigeria has raised issues over the pricing of petrol from the Dangote Refinery, urging the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted to make sure it’s not bought at the next worth than imported gas.
IPMAN argues that such a disparity could be counterproductive to the nation’s drive for vitality self-sufficiency and will negatively influence customers and entrepreneurs alike.
In line with IPMAN on Monday, the pricing technique for domestically refined petrol ought to replicate some great benefits of home manufacturing, providing Nigerians a extra reasonably priced possibility.
The affiliation emphasised that sustaining aggressive pricing is essential for the success of the Dangote Refinery and for fostering a sustainable gas market within the nation.
IPMAN Nationwide Welfare Officer, John Kekeocha, said this on Channels Tv’s The Morning Temporary breakfast programme on Monday.
“If NNPC can promote Dangote merchandise increased than the imported merchandise then it doesn’t make sense. What’s the celebration we’re having all these whereas then?” he queried.
The NNPCL started loading the primary batch of petrol from the Dangote Refinery on Sunday, saying it bought petrol at N898 per litre from the personal refinery.
Earlier than lifting petrol from the Dangote Refinery on Sunday, NNPCL stores in Lagos promote petrol for round N855 however stated a litre of Dangote petrol now sells for N950 per litre in Lagos and N1,019 in Borno.
Nonetheless, Dangote Refinery denied promoting petrol to the NNPCL at N898. A spokesman for the refinery Anthony Chiejina in a press release late Sunday described the declare by the NNPCL as “deceptive and mischievous”.
“It also needs to be famous that we bought the merchandise to NNPCL in {dollars} with quite a lot of financial savings in opposition to what they’re at the moment importing. With this motion, there will probably be petrol in each native authorities space of the nation no matter their distant nature,” Chiejina stated.
NNPCL insisted that it bought petrol from Dangote Refinery at N898 per litre and challenged the latter to launch the value it bought petrol. The NNPCL additional launched a breakdown of pricing it sells Dangote petrol at its filling stations throughout the nation.
Final December, Dangote, Africa’s main industrialist, commenced operations at his $20bn facility sited in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day.
The refinery, which was initially bogged by regulatory battles, hopes to attain its full capability of 650,000 barrels per day by the tip of the yr.
The refinery has begun the availability of diesel and aviation gas to entrepreneurs within the nation and now petrol.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces vitality challenges, with all its state-owned refineries non-operational. The nation is closely reliant on imported refined petroleum merchandise, with the state-run NNPC being the foremost importer of the important commodities.
Gasoline queues are commonplace within the nation. Costs of petrol tripled for the reason that elimination of subsidy in Might 2023, from round N200/litre to over N1000/litre, compounding the woes of the residents who energy their autos, and producing units with petrol, no due to decades-long epileptic electrical energy provide.