Oil marketers have called on Dangote Refinery to embrace an inclusive distribution model following the company’s rollout of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered delivery trucks. They argue that the new fleet, while innovative, cannot by itself guarantee nationwide fuel supply.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, the national president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, stressed that the refinery must integrate its logistics with existing downstream infrastructure.
“All we are asking for is inclusion because there is no way Dangote’s trucks will be enough to supply products to the nooks and crannies of the country,” Gillis-Harry said. “We are also investing in CNG trucks, so there is not so much innovation in saying Dangote is the only one with such trucks.”
Dangote Refinery recently announced plans to acquire 4,000 trucks to deliver petroleum products directly to marketers, with 1,000 already in the country and the rest expected from China.
While the move aims to strengthen efficiency, marketers fear it could sideline depot owners and disrupt the long-standing distribution network serving smaller towns and remote locations.
READ ALSO: Regulate Dangote Refinery’s Market Domination, Oil Marketers Beg Tinubu
Gillis-Harry noted that PETROAN members continue to load products from the refinery but insisted that formal negotiations are needed to safeguard retailers’ access to depots nationwide.
The debate has also attracted broader commentary. Business mogul Femi Otedola urged marketers to restructure, sell redundant assets, and reinvest to stay competitive in Nigeria’s new refining era. But Gillis-Harry dismissed the advice as impractical.
“That is not a very dependable thought,” he said. “Are you telling me that all the investment that has happened in that sector should just be forgotten? We all worked together during the petroleum distribution era. Yes, new things come, old things go, but existing infrastructure must be adapted to serve in this current reality.”
The unfolding row underscores the growing tension between Nigeria’s largest refinery and downstream operators, as both sides seek to define their roles in the country’s evolving fuel distribution landscape.