The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has recently addressed a significant delay in receiving petroleum products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). According to Abubakar Garima, IPMAN’s President, association members currently have over N40 billion in outstanding product supplies with NNPCL, awaiting their long-due delivery.
Garima raised these concerns during an interview on Channels Television’s Breakfast Show, where he expressed the difficulties facing IPMAN members due to delayed product loading by NNPCL. The delay, he noted, has led to uncertainty in fuel distribution and challenges for marketers in meeting demand.
Garima also responded to a recent announcement by Dangote Refinery, which stated it has over 500 million liters of petroleum in storage. He emphasized that IPMAN members are ready to buy from the Dangote Refinery, provided that the refinery can arrange direct supply to independent marketers. This option could offer a solution to the current supply issues facing the sector.
With NNPCL’s delayed product load and a significant backlog in supply, IPMAN hopes to secure a more stable supply channel to maintain efficient fuel distribution across Nigeria. For now, both NNPCL and Dangote Refinery remain key players in ensuring IPMAN’s members can access the products they need.
He said: “In fact we, Independent Petroleum Marketers, we are still waiting for NNPCL to load our product. Recently as I am speaking now, we have over N40 billion outstanding with the NNPCL to load products.
“And my marketers are always looking the way they can get this product directly. So, I am very surprised when I had Dangote say he has over 500 million liters of PMS
“We, Independent Petroleum marketers, if he can be able to send this product to us directly, definitely we are ready to buy the product. Because we have to pay before we pick.
“Presently, just like what I have said, we have over N40 billion under the NNPCL custody. We cannot be able to source this product.
“And just of recent, there are some of my marketers, Independent Petroleum Marketers, that NNPCL sent to go and load in Dangote refinery, I am telling you those marketers they stayed with their trucks over 4 days. They cannot be able to load.
“So there are so many challenges. Well in fact, I didn’t know the reason. And that is the reason why we have been contacting Dangote management to allow us to start taking this product directly so that we know immediately when we paid for the product we can be able to pick this product. So if dangote is having this 500 million liters on the stock, we tell Dangote we are ready to buy this product that I have said directly.”
