Dangote Petroleum Refinery has responded to the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) by challenging the association to take legal action if it is aggrieved by the refinery’s recent publication on product smuggling. The refinery issued this statement after DAPPMAN gave a seven‑day ultimatum demanding that Dangote retract its allegations or face legal proceedings. DAPPMAN had accused Dangote of implicitly blaming the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), Customs, and border agencies for regulatory failures, arguing that the refinery’s statements undermined public confidence in these institutions and threatened President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda.
Dangote Refinery, however, said it would not be intimidated by the ultimatum and is prepared to defend its position through all legitimate means. The refinery alleged that DAPPMAN had demanded an annual subsidy of ₦1.505 trillion to enable its members to match the refinery’s gantry prices at their own depots. According to Dangote, the marketers are asking the refinery to discount ₦70 per litre for coastal freight, NIMASA, NPA and other associated costs, plus an additional ₦5 per litre for pumping into vessels. The refinery stated it has no intention of raising its gantry price to meet these demands, nor will it pay a subsidy exceeding ₦1.5 trillion. It claimed that its refusal to comply with DAPPMAN’s subsidy request is the main reason behind recent public criticisms and attacks.
The refinery reiterated that it has sufficient capacity to meet domestic demand and support exports, maintaining a closing stock of 500 million litres of refined products in its tanks each month. Between June and September, the refinery exported a combined total of 3,229,881 metric tonnes of PMS, AGO and aviation fuel, while marketers imported 3,687,828 metric tonnes over the same period. Dangote described the marketers’ imports as “dumping,” which it said is detrimental to the Nigerian economy and the well‑being of its citizens.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery reaffirmed its commitment to President Tinubu’s reform agenda, noting that it has helped stabilise the naira, cushion the effects of fuel‑subsidy removal, position Nigeria as a refining hub, boost foreign‑exchange earnings, and create employment opportunities across multiple sectors. The refinery remains open to partnerships with patriotic and responsible stakeholders in pursuit of national development.
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