{"id":2223,"date":"2026-07-21T07:34:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=2223"},"modified":"2026-07-21T08:20:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T08:20:41","slug":"dangote-refinery-reasons-oil-marketers-suspend-products-loading-as-government-intervenes-ipman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=2223","title":{"rendered":"Dangote Refinery: Reasons oil marketers suspend products loading as government intervenes &#8211;IPMAN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>*<strong><em>Nigerian oil marketers affirm their suspension of large-scale loading of petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Lagos, in the last few days while awaiting further clarity on the new pricing template being adopted by the leading oil-refining facility in the country <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect<\/p>\n<p>Following the Dangote Petroleum Refinery&#8217;s latest decision to sell the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also called petrol, in US Dollars, Nigerian oil marketers have suspended the loading of fuel at the oil-refining facility in Lagos.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"TBDlrEN11d\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=2237\">FCCPC warns Dangote Refinery against illegality of pricing petrol in Dollars in Nigeria<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cFCCPC warns Dangote Refinery against illegality of pricing petrol in Dollars in Nigeria\u201d \u2014 Consumer Experience Is A Top Priority\" src=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=2237&amp;embed=true#?secret=DLHHTOanBI#?secret=TBDlrEN11d\" data-secret=\"TBDlrEN11d\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>ConsumerConnect<\/em> gathered several marketers Sunday, July 19, 2026, that Dangote Refinery was not loading its fleet of oil tankers, suggesting possible fuel scarcity across the West African country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>L<\/strong><strong>oading<\/strong><strong> of petroleum products continues, says Dangote<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dangote Refinery, however, denied the claim, arguing that fuel loading was still in progress within the Lekki-based plant in the commercial hub of Lagos, report said.<\/p>\n<p>Petroleum marketers also hinted that have suspended large-scale fuel loading in the last few days as they await clarity on the new pricing template being adopted by the Refinery.<\/p>\n<p>Besides, they await the cost of newly-imported petroleum products for onward sales to energy consumers.<\/p>\n<p>This development has purportedly heightened uncertainty in the downstream petroleum sector, with marketers wary of buying large volumes of petrol at the prevailing prices only to see the cost of the product fall shortly after.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on the state of affairs on the industry, Chinedu Ukadike, National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), in a telephone interview Sunday, July 19, 2026, said marketers were being forced to adopt a cautious approach because of the uncertainty surrounding the next price of petrol in Nigeria, The Punch report stated.<\/p>\n<p>Ukadike said: \u201cThe issue is simple; marketers are not buying because they are trying to look at the market dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Whatever we are using today are existing products in tank farms, which we are buying around N1,250 and N1,300.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN said the uncertainty had been worsened by the expected arrival of new crude supplies and imported petrol, whose pricing templates remained unclear as of the time of the interview.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem we are now facing is that this new crude oil that they are bringing- what will be the template?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Also, those who have brought in petroleum products and are given licences are also estimated to place their price at N1,350, which marketers are also wary of,&#8221; said he.<\/p>\n<p>Ukadike restated that oil marketers are, therefore, reluctant to load large volumes because they could not predict whether the price of petrol would rise or fall after they have purchased the product.<\/p>\n<p>He noted: \u201cSo everyone is just sceptical about loading products because when you load, you don\u2019t know the next price, if it is going to reduce or go higher.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You are still expected by consumers to sell at the prevailing price.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>IPMAN confirms PMS distribution, supply continue amid uncertainty <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite the marketers&#8217; cautious optimism about possible price stability, Ukadike said the uncertainty had not completely halted the distribution of petrol, but had significantly reduced the volume being loaded by marketers for the time being.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Government to intervene and resolve the dispute over the pricing template, warning that continued uncertainty could further disrupt the downstream market.<\/p>\n<p>He stated: \u201cThe Federal Government has to look inwards and resolve this issue once and for all.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This template issue should be resolved immediately.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Marketers in the South-West as well confirmed that the uncertainty over petrol prices has forced many to halt fresh purchases, leading to the temporary closure of some filling stations.<\/p>\n<p>Oyewole Akanni, Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Western Zone, in an interview, said the situation was triggered by the suspension of loading of Premium Motor Spirit at the Dangote Refinery about four days ago, agency report said.<\/p>\n<p>The development reportedly has compelled marketers to source petroleum products from private depots at significantly higher prices.<\/p>\n<p>The cheapest ex-depot price at private depots, in Lagos, currently ranges between N1,200 and N1,220 per litre, excluding transportation costs.<\/p>\n<p>Akanni also noted that marketers, who bought products Friday paid between N1,210 and N1,220 per litre.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe non-availability of fuel at some filling stations and the closure of others are due to fluctuations in the price of lifting fuel from depots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince the Dangote refinery stopped selling PMS about four days ago, private depot owners have increased their prices,&#8221; stated he.<\/p>\n<p>The Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Western Zone, further noted that several filling stations that have exhausted their stock are waiting to see whether prices will come down when the Dangote Refinery resumes sales or increase further.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Only a few marketers are buying products for now because of the uncertainty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Akanni, however, maintained that there was no fuel scarcity, urging motorists, and other consumers not to engage in panic buying.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no fuel scarcity. Members of the public should not panic. Although there is a possibility of an increase in the pump price if the current situation persists,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Zonal Chairman said the Dangote Refinery neither gave prior notice nor explained the reason for the suspension of PMS sales to marketers.<\/p>\n<p>Akanni also four truckloads of petrol meant for his filling stations had remained at the Refinery since the suspension of loading.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cI was supposed to have received four truckloads of PMS four days ago, but that has not happened because the trucks are at the Dangote Refinery, which has not been selling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The company is not even loading its own trucks. They are all parked there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Akanni claimed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was also affected because it sourced products from the Dangote Refinery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Private depots are now selling PMS for as much as N1,250 per litre, while marketers can obtain products from NIPCO and Aiteo at about N1,200 per litre, he noted.<\/p>\n<p>Akanni explained: \u201cThe major issue now is the fluctuation in depot prices, which has created uncertainty in the market.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reports on stoppage of products loading &#8216;fake news&#8217;, says Dangote<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Reacting to the rife insinuations of stoppage of loading of petroleum products at its gantry, in Lagos, a Spokesperson of the Dangote Group, however, reportedly dismissed such reports in the mews media as \u201cfake news\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The source rather accused some fuel marketers of spreading false information in the marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>The Refinery has not stopped loading petroleum products, noted the Spokesperson.<\/p>\n<p>The top official of Dangote Group, who did not want his name in print, also averred: \u201cThe Refinery is loading. Anybody can go there to check.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That\u2019s fake news to say we are not loading.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Spokesperson, oil marketers importing petrol are finding it difficult to compete because prices in Lom\u00e9, Togo have increased, making it increasingly difficult to match Dangote\u2019s prices in the Nigerian oil market.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Between Nigerian Government and Dangote Refinery <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Federal Government and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery have yet to reach an agreement on the issues that prompted the oil-refining facility to adopt a Dollar-based pricing template, a development that could prolong uncertainty in the downstream petroleum sector and lead to a further increase in the price of petrol.<\/p>\n<p>A senior government official involved in the ongoing discussions revealed Sunday disclosed that the ongoing standoff resulted from Dangote Petroleum Refinery&#8217;s&nbsp; reaction to continued issuance of import licences to oil marketers, and a disagreement on the modalities of crude oil supply for domestic refining, according to report.<\/p>\n<p>The top official, who also preferred to remain anonymous during to sensitivity of the ongoing negotiations with the Refinery, said the dispute had gone beyond the price of petrol.<\/p>\n<p>The source also emphasised that it was linked to the volume of crude supplied to the refinery, and the proportion of crude sold to it in Naira.<\/p>\n<p>The official further hinted that Dangote Refinery has been unhappy with the Federal Government over the continued issuance of import licences to some oil marketers despite its ability to refine large volumes of petroleum products for Nigerian energy consumers.<\/p>\n<p>Dangote is also dissatisfied with the volume of crude supplied to the Refinery by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited besides the relatively little volume of the crude purchased in Naira from the state oil company, the official reportedly said.<\/p>\n<p>The source declared: \u201cSo, the issue is that Dangote is unhappy about two things; one is that the government gave import permits.<\/p>\n<p>They issued import permits to some companies while his Refinery is capable.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So he was already angry on that level.<\/p>\n<p>He stated: \u201cThen number two is that the Refinery is saying that it is not getting enough crude oil even from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The percentage of Naira for crude that they are giving to the facility is not a lot.<\/p>\n<p>The official further explained: \u201cNumber one is that the facility is still not getting enough, according to him.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And number two is that the portion they are selling to him in Naira is still a little. He still has to do most purchases in dollars.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So the facility is saying that if the government cannot increase the crude they are giving to him in Naira, the new Dollar pricing template is what he will do. So those are the two issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The development has raised fresh concerns over the stability of petrol prices, with the Dangote Refinery\u2019s decision to price its products in Dollars, potentially exposing domestic fuel prices to movements in the Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, according to report.<\/p>\n<p>As noted earlier, this aura of uncertainty over petrol prices in the country has forced several marketers to suspend fresh purchases, leading to the temporary closure of some filling stations, according to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>The government official as well noted the Federal Government has continued to engage the Management of Dangote Refinery, to prevent the dispute from escalating.<\/p>\n<p>He, however, cautioned that the Nigerian Government could not allow any single player to hold the country to ransom by demanding restrictions on imports, while the two parties have continued to disagree over crude supply and pricing.<\/p>\n<p>The official noted: \u201cThe government has been discussing this matter.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He said he was going to do this (dollar sale of fuel). He said this two weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And the government was asking for patience. Let us keep engaging now.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So now that the new dollar pricing template has been done, the government will still keep engaging.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The official contended that Dangote Refinery\u2019s location within a free trade zone gave it considerable flexibility in determining how it conducted its commercial operations, including the currency in which it sold its products.<\/p>\n<p>The top official said: \u201cUnfortunately, the facility is in a free trade zone, so the refinery is actually allowed to sell in any currency it wants to sell.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Refinery is in a free trade zone. And there are so many taxes not paid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The source added: \u201cYes, the Refinery still pays, but there are a lot of taxes the refinery is excluded from, because it is in a free trade zone. &#8220;Those are the benefits you get when you are in a free trade zone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>*Nigerian oil marketers affirm their suspension of large-scale loading of petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Lagos, in the last few days while awaiting&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_customify_content_layout":"","_customify_sidebar":"","_customify_page_header_display":"default","_customify_disable_header":"","_customify_disable_header_top":"","_customify_disable_header_main":"","_customify_disable_header_bottom":"","_customify_disable_page_title":"","_customify_disable_content_vertical_padding":"","_customify_disable_footer_top":"","_customify_disable_footer_main":"","_customify_disable_footer_bottom":"","_customify_breadcrumb_display":"","_customify_header_transparent_display":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","category-infoeducation","category-markets"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc.png",672,360,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc-300x161.png",300,161,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc.png",672,360,false],"large":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc.png",672,360,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc.png",672,360,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IPMAN-and-Dangote-Refinery-cc.png",672,360,false]},"author_info":{"info":["ConsumerConnect"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=20\" rel=\"category\">Highlights<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=3\" rel=\"category\">InfoEducation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=4\" rel=\"category\">Markets<\/a>","tag_info":"Markets","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2223"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2266,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2223\/revisions\/2266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}