The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has welcomed the recently announced plan by the Dangote Refinery to distribute petrol and diesel free of charge to marketers across the country.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Friday, IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, praised billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote for seeing a problem in the sector and deciding to tackle it.

“If you look at the Dangote statement, it is a strong policy statement, if you read down that statement you will understand that he foresaw a lot of problems in the oil and gas industry and also decided to tackle it.

“It is something that we welcome with a lot of cheers because it is going to bring fuel cheaper at our doorpost,” Ukadike said.

Aside from fuel easily getting to people’s doorposts across the country, the IPMAN spokesperson said that Dangote’s new plan will relieve marketers of unnecessary costs.

“Our pipelines have gone for years, nobody is talking about the pipelines wired all over the country from all the whole 21 depots. Products are not being moved. We are suffering the brunt of bringing these products from the sea shores of the country where DAPMAN (Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria) members have their tank farms

“But if you look at Dangote’s statement you will see that a heavy load has been lifted out of the independent marketers,” he said.

On Sunday, the Dangote Refinery announced the free distribution of petrol and diesel to marketers, dealers, and other large users across the country.

It said it has procured 4,000 brand-new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered tankers for the take-off of the initiative on August 15, 2025.

However, the announcement was greeted with complaints by oil marketers under the auspices of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN).

They said it would deprive depot owners, truck operators, and retail outlets who have special deals for the direct delivery of petrol and diesel to large corporations and multinationals.

But the IPMAN spokesperson disagreed with this position, saying that as a refinery, Dangote has the right to find a better way to get his products to the marketers. (Channels TV)