DAPPMAN Issues Dangote Refinery 7-Day Ultimatum Over Smuggling Allegations
By NaijaEnquirer Staff
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has given the Dangote Petroleum Refinery a seven-day ultimatum to either withdraw its claims of fuel smuggling or provide verifiable evidence to support the allegations.
Ultimatum to Dangote
In a statement issued on September 15, the association described Dangote’s accusations as “misleading, factually incorrect, and harmful to Nigeria’s downstream sector.” DAPPMAN warned that if the refinery fails to retract or substantiate its claims, the association will seek legal redress.
“We issue a seven-day ultimatum to the refinery to either retract this allegation or provide documented proof. If neither occurs, we will seek legal redress,”the statement read.
Rebuttal of Smuggling Allegations
Dangote had alleged that some marketers were diverting petroleum products to neighbouring countries. But DAPPMAN dismissed the charge, stressing that only Nigerian Customs and security agencies have the legal mandate to investigate such issues.
Unions and Market Dynamics
DAPPMAN also rejected Dangote’s claims that it influenced a planned strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (NUPENG). The group clarified that unions such as NUPENG, NARTO, MEMAN, and IPMAN act independently and are not controlled by marketers.
The association added that recent reductions in petrol prices were driven by factors including a stronger naira, falling crude oil prices, and improved forex liquidity under the Central Bank of Nigeria—not Dangote’s refinery operations.
Exports, Discounts, and Standards
DAPPMAN defended Nigeria’s refined fuel exports to West Africa as reflecting an open market system, dismissing claims of “round-tripping.” It alleged that Dangote offered foreign buyers discounts of over $40/MT while restricting Nigerian marketers.
The marketers further pointed out that Dangote itself had sought approval from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to distribute petrol with sulphur levels above legal limits, stressing that only the regulator can track supply volumes.
Concerns Over Safety and Monopoly
DAPPMAN also raised alarm over Dangote’s plans to deploy 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks, warning that road safety and congestion could worsen along the Lekki–Epe Expressway. The association alleged that Dangote’s fleet has a “history of fatal accidents” involving poorly trained drivers.
The group stressed that while it supports competition, it will resist rhetoric that undermines regulators and risks derailing President Bola Tinubu’s deregulation reforms.
