Fuel: IPMAN urges marketers to patronise local refineries, asks FG to discourage imports
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged its members to prioritise petroleum products from domestic refineries, saying increased local sourcing will strengthen supply and help stabilise pump prices.
The association also called on the Federal Government to introduce policies that would discourage the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit.
The IPMAN National President, Abubakar Shettima, made the call in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
Shettima said greater patronage of locally refined petroleum products would reduce costs associated with importing fuel while supporting economic growth and 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,” Shettima said.
He said increased dependence on domestic refineries would eliminate costly freight and port charges, create employment opportunities and provide the fastest route towards achieving energy independence.
The IPMAN president also encouraged independent petroleum marketers to invest directly in local refining infrastructure, saying such investments would enable them to move beyond their traditional role as petroleum product off-takers.
Shettima described the adoption of domestic refining capacity as a patriotic responsibility and urged members to take advantage of the opportunity to become equity owners in primary production infrastructure.
According to him, such investments would strengthen the ability of independent marketers to ensure affordable and uninterrupted distribution of petroleum products across the 36 states while contributing to stability in pump prices.
Shettima said the Dangote refinery’s increasing operational capacity would help meet domestic energy requirements and reduce pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
“IPMAN believes that investment in the Dangote Refinery is a direct stake in the energy security and economic sovereignty of Nigeria,” he said.
However, Shettima appealed to the management of the Dangote Refinery to maintain its direct allocation of Premium Motor Spirit to independent petroleum marketers.
He urged the refinery to broaden the allocation arrangement to accommodate all registered independent marketers across the country rather than restricting access or discontinuing supplies to some distribution channels.
The IPMAN president further called on the Federal Government to adopt stringent measures against the continued importation of PMS.
He said sustained dependence on imported fuel would put additional pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves and hamper the growth of domestic industries.
Shettima maintained that strengthening local refining and ensuring wider access to domestically produced petroleum products would contribute to a more stable downstream sector and improve Nigeria’s energy security.
