BY DANIEL ANAZIA
THE management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has commenced registration of distributors for the lifting and distribution of its refined petroleum products across the country.
So far, members of three prominent associations, that constitute 75 per cent of the total market in Nigeria have been registered. The associations are Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN).
The refinery is also considering other marketers that have signified interest in the lifting and distribution of its petroleum products in the country.
DAPPMAN Executive Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, said the association commenced discussions with the refinery regarding the lifting and distribution of its refined petroleum products last year during a meeting between DAPPMAN Chairman, Dame Winifred Akpani, the 2nd Vice Chairman, Alhaji Mahmud Tukur, and the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The meeting, he explained, was to explore collaboration between the refinery and DAPPMAN members whose nationwide presence would be critical in distributing products from the refinery to the consumers.
Adewole said the refining of petroleum products from Dangote Refinery would accelerate Nigeria’s economic development and provide DAPPMAN members with seamless access to refined petroleum products.
Speaking in the same vein, National Vice President of IPMAN, Alhaji Hammed Adekunle Fasola, said the association had declared its intention to lift and distribute petroleum products from the refinery, adding: “We have already established a business relationship with Dangote Refinery.
“We believe that the relationship is going to be a win-win one. Our association owns 80 per cent of the retail outlets in the country and we have all it takes to ensure smooth distribution of petroleum products from Dangote Refinery across the country.”
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of MOMAN, Mr. Clement Isong, said the association members had registered with the refinery to market its products, noting: “We were waiting for the production to start and now it has started, they will start discussing the commercial terms. So, yes, major marketers and other players will buy for the market. The important thing was the registration.
“So, now the commercial terms will be agreed with each marketer and then they will buy from them. There are several ways you can buy from them. They have loading ranks, over 90, so you can take your truck to go and pick.
“You can also use vessels to pick. Those are the two ways you pick products.”
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has the capacity to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirement for all refined products, including gasoline, 45 million litres; diesel, 14 million litres; kerosene, 10 million litres and aviation fuel, 2,000,000 million litres per day respectively, and have surplus for export.
Designed for 100 per cent Nigerian crude, with the flexibility to process other crudes, the refinery can load 2,900 trucks a day at its truck-loading gantries. The products from the refinery will conform to Euro V specifications.
Its design also complies with the World Bank, US EPA, European emission norms and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) emission/effluent norms, employing state-of-the-art technology.
Reacting to the spate of reports claiming to be appointed distributors of Dangote petroleum products, the management of Dangote Industries Limited confirmed that registration of distributors had commenced, while the process of appointment was ongoing.
“All news regarding the Dangote Refinery should not be taken as a matter of fact if not officially communicated by the company,” the management added.
