There was palpable fear of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol scarcity on Monday as the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) insisted on withdrawing their services on Tuesday should Dangote Refinery fail to rescind its decision to distribute products directly to the end-users.

Speaking in a joint press conference in Abuja, the NOGASA national president, Benneth Korie said the stakeholders are against the direct supply from Dangote in order to avert total scarcity should the refinery breakdown after plunging the market into monopoly.

He said, “Given the urgency of this matter, we find ourselves with no other choice but to consider withdrawing our services nationwide in solidarity with NUPENG and other stakeholders if this situation remains unresolved.

“It is hereby directed that all oil and gas suppliers to all construction companies, industries, hotels and telecommunication sites nationwide should withdraw the services with effects from tomorrow 9th September 2025 pending when the matter is resolved.”

The association called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene to avert the industrial crisis and imminent threat to energy security.

According to him, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) are building their refinery that is already at 80% completion to compete with Dangote Refinery.

He said, “The depot owners, they are almost at 80% ready now to start their own refinery. 80%.

“Go and find out from the MEMAN and DAPPMAN. They will tell you, they’ve started doing the business. So it’s not as if they are folding their hand.

He added that the failure of the Nigerian a National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has taught the industry players a lesson and they have joined force to avert it from Dangote refinery.

Korie said, “You know what happened to an NNPC teach everybody a lesson? Yes. Okay? So the DAPPMAN, MEMAN, all of them now, joined forces to make sure they get their own refinery. And once this happens, these things will go.”

In his press statement, the NARTO President Alhaji Yusuf Othman notified stakeholders on the association support for Nigerian Union of Natural Gas and Petroleum Workers (NUPENG) in the ongoing struggle against monopolistic and anti-competition practices being advanced by the Dangote Group in the downstream oil and gas sector.

He said, “The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) wishes to notify all stakeholders and the general public of its firm position in support of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in the ongoing struggle against monopolistic and anti-competition practices being advanced by the Dangote Group in the downstream oil and gas sector.”

He said NARTO rejects the Dangote’s plan to supply products directly to end-users.

He said, “While we recognize and appreciate the injection of new trucks and other investments into the petroleum distribution value chain, we must state categorically that NARTO strongly and unequivocally rejects any plan for free distribution of petroleum products.

“Such an approach is not only unsustainable but is also a deliberate attempt to undermine and eliminate the thousands of independent transporters who form the backbone of Nigeria’s petroleum distribution network.”

According to him, at present, NARTO members collectively operate more than 30,000 trucks across the country, employing thousands of drivers, assistants, and service providers.

He added that the operations sustain millions of dependents and are supported by financial commitments from both local and international banks, as well as marketers and depot owners.

Othman insisted that any attempt to eliminate the established distribution structure will lead to loss of investment – Truck owners whose spread cut across the country and were financed by banks, both foreign and domestic.

He said It will destroy livelihoods leading to mass unemployment for drivers, mechanics, loaders, and others whose survival depends on petroleum distribution.

Othman said it threatens national security as unemployment and economic displacement of this scale could fuel unrest and instability.

Continuing he said it will “Jeopardize energy security by concentrating the distribution of petroleum products in the hands of a single entity, thereby surrendering a critical aspect of national infrastructure to private monopoly control.

“Exploit consumers in the long run as monopolistic practices will eventually pave the way for price manipulation and supply strangulation through the use of economies of scale.

“Furthermore, Section 212 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the regulatory stance of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) clearly emphasize the need for a level playing field in the downstream sector.

“To ignore this provision is to endanger fair competition, consumer protection, and the overall health of the Nigerian economy.”

The PETROAN President Billy Hary said they are protecting the industry from threat to energy security and the jobs of the 30,000 tanker drivers. (The Nation)

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