Dangote Refinery Emerges Major Hub as PMS Loadings Hit 1,000 Trucks Daily
By Patience Ikpeme
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has recorded a major surge in market activity, with over 1,000 trucks now loading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily from its gantry, a development widely seen as a strong vote of confidence in the refinery’s operational capacity and growing influence in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
The increase in truck loading followed the refinery’s recent decision to cut the pump price of PMS to ₦699 per litre, alongside a sharp reduction in the minimum purchase requirement from two million litres to 250,000 litres. Industry observers say the twin measures have significantly expanded access to locally refined fuel, particularly for independent and medium-scale marketers who were previously constrained by volume thresholds.
Since the announcement, marketers’ response has been swift, with the refinery increasingly emerging as a central hub for fuel distribution nationwide. The adjustments are aimed at improving supply stability, widening participation across the downstream value chain and supporting broader economic activity by easing energy costs.
To further strengthen confidence among marketers, Dangote Refinery has introduced a 10-day bank guarantee arrangement, designed to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply and reduce transaction risks. The initiative has been welcomed within the industry as a move that improves liquidity management while ensuring continuous product availability.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said the refinery’s pricing and volume decisions were driven by a clear objective of making energy more affordable and accessible to Nigerians.
“Our goal has always been to make energy affordable and accessible for every Nigerian. By reducing prices and lowering the minimum purchase volume, we are empowering both large and small marketers to participate in the market, ensuring fuel reaches every corner of the country,” Dangote said.
The revised structure has effectively opened the market to smaller operators, strengthening distribution networks and improving fuel availability across urban and rural areas. Analysts note that by lowering barriers to entry, the refinery is encouraging competition within the downstream sector, with potential benefits for consumers through improved supply consistency and pricing stability.
Speaking to journalists last week, Dangote said the company remains focused on ensuring Nigerians fully benefit from domestic refining capacity. He explained that efforts are ongoing to ensure recent price reductions at the gantry are reflected at retail outlets across the country. Dangote also stated that the refinery project was driven by long-term national interest rather than immediate profit considerations, adding that he could have invested the $20 billion cost of the project elsewhere if financial returns were his only motivation.
Support for the refinery’s approach has also come from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). The association recently called on its members nationwide to patronise Dangote Refinery in sourcing PMS, noting that the facility currently offers the most affordable price structure for marketers. IPMAN also announced that free delivery of products from the refinery is expected to commence in January 2026.
In a statement signed by IPMAN National President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi Shettima, the association expressed satisfaction with an agreement that will see Dangote Petroleum Refinery supply PMS directly to registered IPMAN members. Shettima said the move would further stabilise fuel distribution nationwide.
According to him, “the association has the highest percentage of the supply chain of the PMS downstream sector, controlling over 80 per cent of the PMS retail market. We therefore declare that there will be no gap or scarcity in PMS supply to Nigerians.”
With daily truck loadings crossing the 1,000 mark and growing support from marketers’ associations, industry stakeholders say Dangote Refinery is increasingly reshaping Nigeria’s downstream petroleum landscape, with implications for fuel availability, pricing and long-term energy security.
