Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised concerns over an international trading company allegedly blending substandard petroleum products in Nigeria to compete with its higher-quality fuel.
The refinery claims that the unnamed foreign company has rented a depot near the Dangote facility to mix low-quality fuel products, aiming to mislead local buyers and gain a foothold in the domestic market.
Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer at Dangote Group, warned that these activities could harm Nigeria’s refining industry and urged the government to protect domestic producers to boost job creation and economic growth.
Chiejina pointed out that, like the U.S. and Europe, Nigeria should prioritize its industries through protective measures to foster growth.
“We remain committed to providing affordable, high-quality, domestically-refined petroleum products. We urge the public to ignore the disinformation spread by those who prefer exporting jobs and importing poverty,” Chiejina said.
He noted that recent misinformation from groups like IPMAN and PETROAN claims that imported PMS (petrol) can be offered at lower prices than Dangote’s. He argued that any significantly cheaper imports likely consist of substandard products that could harm vehicles and pose health risks.
Highlighting challenges in quality regulation, Chiejina pointed out that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) lacks adequate lab facilities to test fuel imports for quality standards. This gap, he suggested, allows low-quality products to enter the market unchecked.
Following deregulation, the NNPC had set a benchmark, selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per liter for ships and N990 for trucks. Dangote Refinery lowered this rate to N960 per liter for ship sales, maintaining N990 for trucks. “We started sales at these competitive prices despite uncertainties over the exchange rate we will use to pay for the crude purchased,” Chiejina explained.
In closing, Dangote emphasized that its pricing aligns with international standards, underscoring its commitment to quality and competitive rates for the Nigerian market.
