Petroleum marketers have suspended large-scale fuel loading at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery following the company’s decision to sell petrol in dollars, raising concerns about possible fuel shortages across Nigeria.
Marketers said they are delaying fresh purchases due to uncertainty over the refinery’s new pricing template and the expected prices of newly imported petroleum products. However, the Dangote Refinery denied reports that loading had stopped completely, insisting that fuel loading operations are still ongoing at its Lekki facility.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Ukadike, said marketers are adopting a cautious approach because they cannot predict whether petrol prices will rise or fall after making purchases. He explained that many are still selling existing stock bought at between ₦1,250 and ₦1,300 per litre, while uncertainty also surrounds the pricing of incoming crude supplies and imported fuel, expected to sell for about ₦1,350 per litre.
Ukadike noted that while fuel distribution has not stopped entirely, the volume being loaded has dropped significantly. He urged the Federal Government to quickly resolve the pricing dispute to prevent further disruption in the downstream petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, IPMAN Western Zone Chairman, Oyewole Akanni, confirmed that the uncertainty has led many marketers in the South-West to suspend fresh purchases, with some filling stations temporarily shutting down after the reported suspension of petrol loading at the Dangote Refinery.