Amidst the fuel scarcity nationwide, marketers in the FCT have shown confidence over the possibility of purchasing PMS (premium motor spirit) first-hand from Dangote Refinery. Recent survey around Abuja revealed that, three months after the present shortages began, most retail outlets still lacked the product.
Chief Chinedu Ukadike, the Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), stated that the sellers were hopeful about coming to a consensus that would enable a direct supply from the $20 billion refinery. He also expressed that a meeting has been set this week between refinery officials and independent marketers.
According to him: “There is a meeting scheduled for this week between Dangote and IPMAN. We are happy that Dangote has set on a new course in terms of looking to other stakeholders to distribute its products.
”It is now distributing to major marketers and we are hopeful that with time it will start distributing to independent marketers.
“For the refinery to also start distributing through the coastal areas with vessels is a good move. This will remove the ghost scarcity that has persisted for a long time. Once it takes off effectively, ghost scarcity will be gone.”
Chief Ukadike also claimed that pricing remains a big issue in petrol distribution, emphasising that sellers have to be supplied the product at a price that would enable them to be competitive.
Regarding the supply at N766 per litre to large-scale traders, Ukadike said: “It’s not a good price now but I must tell you that supply will determine price. Deregulation is all about competition and the factors of demand and supply come to play. When the product is enough within the country, the price will go down.”