IPMAN Urges Marketers to Buy Fuel From Local Refineries, Calls for End to Importation
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged its members to prioritise petroleum products from local refineries, saying increased domestic sourcing will help stabilise fuel supply and pump prices.
IPMAN National President, Abubakar Shettima, made the call in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, while urging the Federal Government to introduce policies that would discourage the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Shettima said greater reliance on domestic refining would reduce freight and port-related costs, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security.
“As an association that controls over 80 percent of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum retail infrastructure, operating more than 150,000 retail outlets across the nation, we recognise the strategic importance of this development,” he said.
According to him, embracing domestic refining capacity should be regarded as a patriotic responsibility and an opportunity for independent petroleum marketers to move beyond being mere off-takers of petroleum products.
He urged marketers to consider investing in primary production infrastructure, saying such investments would strengthen their ability to ensure affordable and uninterrupted fuel distribution across the country.
Shettima said the operational capacity of the Dangote Refinery had created an opportunity for Nigeria to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum products while conserving foreign exchange.
“IPMAN believes that investment in the Dangote Refinery is a direct stake in the energy security and economic sovereignty of Nigeria,” he said.
The IPMAN president, however, appealed to the management of the Dangote Refinery to maintain its direct allocation of PMS to independent petroleum marketers.
He called on the refinery to expand its direct allocation framework to accommodate all registered independent marketers across the country, rather than restricting access to selected distribution channels.
Shettima also urged the Federal Government to implement stringent measures to discourage the continued importation of PMS.
He warned that sustained dependence on imported fuel could put pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves and undermine the growth of Nigeria’s domestic refining and petroleum industries.
He said stronger collaboration among local refineries, marketers and the government would provide a sustainable pathway towards energy independence and greater stability in the downstream petroleum sector.
