The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has attributed the delay in the nationwide distribution of petroleum products by Dangote Refinery to ongoing truck numbering exercises.
The refinery, which had earlier announced August 15, 2025, as the take-off date for its fuel and diesel distribution scheme, is yet to roll out the programme. This has sparked concerns among stakeholders and consumers eagerly anticipating the refinery’s entry into the downstream sector.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Maigandi, disclosed that Dangote Refinery is finalizing the numbering of its trucks, a process expected to be completed within a week. He assured that the scheme would commence immediately afterwards.
“I spoke with the management; right now they are doing the numbering of the trucks. Immediately they are done, in a week, they will begin the direct-to-customers fuel distribution scheme,” Maigandi stated.
According to him, the initiative will help reduce petrol prices by eliminating additional logistics costs often borne by petroleum marketers.
Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery confirmed that it has already taken delivery of its N720 billion worth of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks to support the project, which is expected to gulp N1.07 trillion annually.
However, the scheme has met stiff resistance from some industry groups. Both the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria have kicked against the plan, warning that it could trigger massive job losses in the sector.
The 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery, the largest in Africa, has been seen as a game-changer for Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, with hopes high that its operations will reduce dependence on imported fuel and stabilize pump prices nationwide.
