By Abigail Philip David
The management of Dangote Refinery is preparing to meet with the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) to discuss direct petrol supply arrangements. This follows a recent agreement between Dangote Refinery and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to supply petrol directly, bypassing intermediaries.
Joseph Obele, PETROAN’s Publicity Secretary, confirmed on Tuesday that the refinery had reached out to PETROAN President, Dr. Billy Harry, with a proposal for a business meeting in the coming days. Dr. Harry has since assembled a seven-member team, led by himself, to represent PETROAN at the meeting.
“The Head of Commercial at Dangote Refinery has sent an email to Dr. Billy Harry, proposing a strategic business meeting,” Obele stated. “At this meeting, PETROAN aims to secure affordable, high-quality products for consumers while ensuring compliance with all regulatory standards and industry best practices.”
Obele expressed optimism, saying the meeting is expected to be mutually beneficial for the public, Dangote Refinery, and petroleum retail outlet owners.
In a Tuesday statement, PETROAN’s National Headquarters praised Dangote Refinery’s management for its recent direct sales agreement with IPMAN, which bypasses intermediaries, previously filled by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
PETROAN also highlighted signals that petrol prices could drop soon, citing recent discussions between Dangote Refinery and industry stakeholders, as well as a decrease in landing costs of petrol in Nigeria due to global market shifts and improved supply chain efficiencies.
Acknowledging the sensitivity of the oil and gas sector, PETROAN emphasized the importance of strategic discussions to ensure operational efficiency and industry stability.
“We commend Dangote Refinery for its commitment to engaging stakeholders and are hopeful that the public will be the primary beneficiaries,” PETROAN added.
It is noteworthy that PETROAN recently announced a deal with international traders to import petrol at prices lower than those from both Dangote Refinery and NNPC.
