A day before the start of Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s new fuel distribution plan, fuel marketers and tanker drivers have confirmed they will now work together with the company after talks eased fears of job losses.
The refinery is set to begin its direct fuel supply programme on Friday, August 15, using some of the 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks already delivered for the project.
Beyond Boders learned that the plan had earlier caused panic among members of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) and tanker drivers, who feared they could lose their businesses if Dangote bypassed existing supply networks.
NOGASA had warned that delivering fuel directly to end users could disrupt the market, cause shortages, and damage long-standing supply chains. They urged the company to delay the plan and called on President Bola Tinubu to step in.
However, NOGASA’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, and the President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Yusuf Othman, told newsmen that both groups recently met with Dangote representatives and reached an agreement.
Ukadike said Dangote had agreed not to sell fuel directly to end users but instead supply to bulk buyers, who would then distribute to the public. He explained:
“We were afraid that if he sold fuel directly to end users, our labour capacity would be lost and our return on investment would be in jeopardy.”
He added that members are now registering on Dangote’s online portal to become official bulk buyers, and that the CNG trucks will deliver fuel only to registered buyers, not directly to consumers.
NARTO’s Othman confirmed that consultations are still ongoing and that they have already met Dangote once, with plans to meet him again soon.
On Tuesday, Dangote Industries Limited’s Vice President for Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin, said the 4,000 CNG trucks were aimed at cutting transport costs and making fuel cheaper for Nigerians, not replacing existing distributors.
He noted the trucks are also more environmentally friendly and will make delivery faster and more efficient.
When asked to confirm the deal with marketers and drivers, Dangote Group’s spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, said the dealers should hold a press briefing.
