The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has called on the Federal and Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to investigate the road safety records of Dangote Group.

DAPPMAN alleged that the company’s array of drivers had been known for being involved in fatal road accidents on Nigerian roads.

The allegation came on the heels of Dangote’s newly launched Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks for direct supply of petroleum products to filling stations nationwide.

“While DAPPMAN supports the introduction of CNG trucks as a cleaner energy initiative, safety cannot be compromised.

“The Dangote Group has a well-documented history of fatal road crashes linked to poorly trained or unsupervised drivers.

“Only weeks ago, Nigerians mourned the lives lost in tragic accidents involving Dangote cement trucks across multiple states,” a statement signed by DAPPMAN’s management read in part.

The association noted that adding 4,000 new trucks to Nigeria’s already strained road network without mandatory training, retraining, and safety audits only heightened the risk of further tragedies, this time involving highly flammable petroleum products.

It, therefore, urged the FRSC to investigate the road safety records of the company.

“We therefore call on the FRSC, insurance industry, and relevant regulators to conduct a comprehensive audit of Dangote’s transport operations and road safety record. Mandatory driver vetting and retraining must be a precondition before widespread deployment of these trucks.

“Residents along major corridors, such as the Lekki-Epe Expressway, are already experiencing worsening congestion and road wear due to increased truck traffic. “Without immediate intervention. The risks to lives, property, and public infrastructure will escalate,” the statement said.

Alleged Smuggling

On products smuggling to neighbouring countries, DAPPMAN said Dangote’s statements implicitly accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), Customs, and border agencies of regulatory failure.

“This not only undermines public confidence in these institutions but poses a subtle threat to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s reform agenda. The administration has supported deregulation and competition. DAPPMAN supports these reforms fully. The refinery’s actions suggest a preference for protectionism and dominance.”

It called on the Dangote Refinery to produce evidence or retract its allegation.

The Association gave the Refinery a 7-day ultimatum to retract the allegation or face legal action.

“We challenge Dangote Refinery to present verifiable evidence that DAPPMAN members are diverting products to neighbouring countries.

Smuggling is a national security matter. If any member is complicit, let the relevant agencies act.

“We issue a 7-day ultimatum to the refinery to either retract this allegation or provide documented proof. If neither occurs, we reserve the right to seek legal redress.”

It demanded fair competition, alleging that the Refinery is scheming to monopolise the downstream sector.

“DAPPMAN does not seek conflict. We seek a petroleum market where all players follow the same rules. Consumers benefit from efficiency and choice. Supply is diversified, safe, and competitive.

We will resist any attempt to create a monopoly masked as patriotism.

The Nigerian public, regulators, and media must remain vigilant and hold all market actors accountable to the same standards of transparency, fairness, and operational excellence.”

It also rejected the allegation by the Refinery that it sponsored the recent nationwide strike threats by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

“The claim that DAPPMAN sponsored NUPENG suggests a fundamental lack of understanding of how Nigeria’s downstream ecosystem works. Stakeholders such as NUPENG, NARTO, PETROAN, MEMAN, IPMAN, and DAPPMAN are independent entities, each with distinct roles and interests.

“DAPPMAN does not control labour unions or other industry associations and has no business interfering in their decisions.

“DAPPMAN did not sponsor or support NUPENG’s proposed industrial action. Our role has been one of de-escalation, focused on averting disruption of fuel supply and national mobility.”

Pump Price Reduction

The association also alleged that the cut in pump prices of petrol products by the refinery was not patriotic, saying the price slashes were based on market dynamics.

“The recent reductions in pump prices are primarily the result of a stronger naira(N1,500—N1,550/$ since Ql 2025), supported by the fiscal and monetary reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Declining international crude prices(Brent crude fell from $92 to $76 per barrel), Market deregulation and improved FX liquidity under the current administration”

It questioned why Dangote’s exports thrive only in open markets, and not in Nigeria.

“The Dangote Refinery has, in recent times, successfully exported refined petroleum products to the United States and other countries with well-established refining capacity and competitive supply chains.

“These markets, despite having robust domestic production, remain open to external suppliers in the interest of supply diversity and market efficiency.

“If such countries had adopted restrictive trade practices, these export opportunities would not have existed.

“This underscores the global value of open, competitive supply chains principle Nigeria must uphold, not abandon.”

It said allegations that Nigerian marketers import Dangote-refined products from Togo is misleading and ironic.

“For clarity, Offshore Lorne is a recognized West African (WAF) trading hub, not a blending plant as some commentators have suggested.

“Just as the Dangote Refinery is a refinery and not a factory, Offshore Lorne is a trading point where cargoes are exchanged, not processed.

Pricing “Offshore Lorne” reflects international market transactions and is not the same as retail pricing within Lome, Togo.

“It is, in fact, the Dangote Refinery that offers discounts of over $40/MT to foreign traders, while denying Nigerian marketers access to coastal vessel loading and restricting them to gantry-only lifting. “This restrictive access and pricing structure creates the very arbitrage opportunity the refinery now criticises.”

Fuels With Sulphur

On Dangote’s claims that DAPPMAN members import fuels with sulphur levels above 50ppm, it noted contradicts its own operational record.

“The refinery itself applied for waivers from NMDPRA to distribute high-sulphur products in direct contravention of PIA Section 317 (11).

“We challenge the refinery to publicly deny this.”

It said the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) maintains daily logs of loading and dispatch volumes across all depots and terminals, including Dangote.

“Claims about ‘actual consumption ‘volumes are outside the refinery’s jurisdiction. If Dangote seeks credibility, it should open its production and dispatch records to an independent audit.

“DAPPMAN maintains that the refinery currently supplies no more than 35% of national consumption.

“DAPPMAN members operate hundreds of depots and thousands of filling stations across Nigeria. NARTO manages a fleet of over 30,000 trucks.

“This national infrastructure cannot depend on a single supply source or be replaced by a one-location refinery.

“Attempts to do so signal a deliberate push toward monopolisation.

We reject statements that belittle the infrastructure and investment of marketers and distributors as “mere assets.” Such remarks are disrespectful to the hundreds of billions invested by Nigerian entrepreneurs over decades.

“Every player in the value chain, refiners, bulk traders, depot operators, transporters, and retailers, has a defined and vital role. Demanding that marketers build refineries betrays a lack of understanding of modern petroleum economies”. (Channels TV)

•A fleet of trucks are seen lifting Premium Motor Spirit, known as petrol, at the refinery located in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State. Credit: X/ @DangoteGroup