The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has commenced the sale of Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, to oil marketers nationwide.
Dealers and officials of the plant confirmed, as it was gathered that the refinery commenced diesel sales last week.
“They started pumping out diesel to marketers last week. They also promised to sell aviation fuel soon. Some of my members confirmed this to me after making a purchase,” the National President of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, told newsmen.
He said the move by Dangote would lead to a crash in diesel prices, as the commodity rose to a high of about N1,700/litre recently.
“The price of diesel is going to fall because of the release of products from Dangote Refinery. In fact, it is already coming down in Lagos,” Maigandi stated.
A senior management official of the firm confirmed the sale of diesel to marketers, as the source noted that Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, would soon be released to the market.
The Dangote Refinery has faced a series of hurdles as it strives to release refined products into the market after it was officially inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2023.
On February 8, 2024, it was reported that there were indications that lingering regulatory approvals stalled Dangote Petrochemical Refinery’s plan to release aviation fuel (Jet A1) and diesel for sale in the Nigerian market in January.
The report stated that weeks after the January 31 timeline set by the management of Africa’s largest refinery to begin the sale of its petroleum product in the local market, the refinery was still battling to cross the hurdles of the several layers of regulatory approvals.
It stated that the development came after the refinery began the production of refined petroleum products at the expansive facility.
On January 12, 2024, Dangote refinery announced that it had commenced the production of Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, and aviation fuel or JetA1.
