The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Western Zone, has announced plans to suspend operations from Monday, September 8, in protest against perceived attempts to monopolize the downstream petroleum sector. This decision was reached during a zonal council meeting attended by council members, officers, depot chairmen, and secretaries from the five depots in the South West region.
According to Chief Oyewole Akanni, Chairman of the zone, the strike is in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, which has raised concerns over job security for petroleum tanker drivers. The planned entry of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company into petrol distribution, alongside MRS Energy Ltd, is seen as a significant threat to the survival of IPMAN members’ businesses. With over 4,000 trucks involved in petroleum product lifting, the association fears that many truck drivers and motor boys may lose their jobs, potentially crippling thousands of members’ investments.
The IPMAN chairman emphasized that this move contravenes the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, which prohibits companies refining crude oil from directly engaging in product distribution. He described this as a “flagrant disobedience to the law guiding operations in the downstream sector.” The association has called on the Federal Government to intervene and uphold the laws governing the Petroleum Industry Act, stressing that it will resist any attempt to allow monopoly in the sector.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery had recently announced plans to commence nationwide distribution of Premium Motor Spirit and Automotive Gas Oil, with a logistics program supported by 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks. The IPMAN’s decision to shut down operations is a response to this development, which it sees as a threat to its members’ livelihoods. The association’s actions are aimed at protecting the interests of its members and ensuring a level playing field in the downstream petroleum sector. With the strike set to begin on Monday, the Federal Government’s response to the situation will be closely watched.
