The Dangote Petroleum Refinery will today (Monday) roll out over 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks to begin the first phase of its direct fuel distribution scheme. Consequently, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has said it is ready to receive Dangote trucks at its various stations.
Officials at the Dangote refinery confirmed that the direct distribution would begin as part of activities marking one year since the refinery started petrol production. Initially scheduled to commence on August 15, the scheme was delayed due to logistics problems in China.
A senior official of the Dangote Group told our correspondent that over 1,000 trucks were received before the end of August, and others were coming in hundreds weekly. “The trucks are arriving in hundreds every week,” the official, who spoke in confidence, due to the lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, said.
With the available trucks, the company said it would roll out the logistics-free distribution programme this Monday to significantly reduce fuel prices across Nigeria. From today, the initiative will see the gantry price of petrol reduced to N820 per litre, with corresponding lower pump prices in several key states.
Lagos and other South-Western states will see fuel retailing at N841 per litre, while Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Kwara states will sell at N851 per litre. “The first phase of the deployment will cover the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Kwara, Delta, Edo, Rivers, and South-West states, with nationwide expansion planned as additional trucks are delivered,” the Dangote Group said in a statement.
It added that the transition to CNG-powered transportation is expected to save the Nigerian economy over N1.8tn annually, saying the move is designed to cut fuel distribution costs, reduce pump prices, and ease inflationary pressures.
Marketers align
Meanwhile, members of IPMAN have said they are ready to receive Dangote trucks in their filling stations.
The IPMAN National President, Abubakar Shettima, confirmed to our correspondent on Sunday that many independent marketers had applied for Dangote’s direct fuel delivery to their retail outlets.
“We are on standby, waiting for Dangote trucks to come. There are many of our members who have applied to get direct fuel delivery. The registration is done online by individual marketers. We are expecting the trucks to come tomorrow, by God’s grace,” Shettima said.