The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged its members to source petroleum products from local refineries in a move aimed at improving fuel supply and stabilising prices across the country.
IPMAN National President, Abubakar Shettima, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja, urging the Federal Government to introduce stronger measures to discourage the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.
Shettima said greater reliance on domestic refineries would eliminate costly freight and port charges, create more local employment opportunities and accelerate Nigeria’s drive towards energy independence.
He described the adoption of domestic refining capacity as a patriotic responsibility, urging IPMAN members to take advantage of opportunities to move beyond being mere off-takers of petroleum products and become equity owners of primary production infrastructure.
According to him, such investments would strengthen the capacity of independent marketers to guarantee affordable and uninterrupted fuel distribution across the 36 states while helping to stabilise pump prices.
Shettima also highlighted the importance of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, saying its operational capacity would strengthen domestic energy supply while reducing pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
He described investment in the refinery as a direct stake in Nigeria’s energy security and economic sovereignty.
However, Shettima appealed to the management of the Dangote refinery to maintain its direct allocation of PMS to independent marketers and expand the arrangement to cover all registered independent marketers nationwide.
He said wider access would prevent supply bottlenecks and ensure that more marketers can obtain locally refined petrol directly.
The IPMAN president further called on the Federal Government to implement stringent policies to discourage continued petrol importation, warning that excessive reliance on imported fuel could deplete the country’s foreign reserves and undermine domestic industrial growth.
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