The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has commenced direct sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to select oil marketers, bypassing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). As demand for direct purchases increases, many marketers are seeking to acquire the product straight from the refinery, while others are still importing petrol, with hundreds of millions of litres expected to arrive in Nigeria shortly.

The refinery, which has a focus on producing 53% of its output as petrol, has opened its doors for direct business transactions on a willing-buyer, willing-seller basis. Officials confirmed that marketers are now lifting petrol directly from the Lekki-based facility. This development comes after a recent shift in policy allowing marketers to purchase petrol from local refineries without NNPC’s involvement, promoting competition and efficiency in the market.

Despite earlier reports that the NNPC would be the sole off-taker for the refinery’s petrol, recent changes announced by the Technical Subcommittee on Domestic Sale of Crude Oil have enabled marketers to negotiate direct purchases. Key figures from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have been in discussions with Dangote Industries to facilitate these transactions.

The pricing for the petrol remains unclear, but officials indicated that competitive pricing would encourage marketers to engage in direct purchases.