Major fuel consumers and filling stations are increasingly bypassing their intermediary suppliers in favor of Dangote Refinery’s free delivery service.
Yusuf Othman, President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), criticized the development, warning that it threatens the survival of transporters who had invested heavily in trucks to serve these companies.
He explained that several members of his association had entered into both formal and informal agreements with filling stations, telecom operators, and other large-scale fuel consumers. Some of these agreements, he noted, were used to secure bank facilities for the purchase of trucks.
“But now, those agreements are at stake because a big brother is coming to supply directly to them, not minding the fact that they have signed agreements with us,” Othman said.
He revealed that while the practice has not been officially communicated, credible information available to NARTO suggests that Dangote’s free delivery is ongoing, leading to rising concerns among truck owners.
“If I sign an agreement with you for service by virtue of my 10 trucks, and somebody somewhere comes to do the same thing for you for free, it’s a very delicate situation,” he added.
Othman called on the Federal Government, particularly the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to intervene, stressing that the regulator had earlier declared such direct free supply as illegal under Section 212 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
