The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has uncovered a fresh racket involving some of its affiliate marketers and strategic partners who were allegedly diverting discounted refined petroleum products for profit. This discovery has prompted the refinery to suspend its discounted fuel supply scheme with effect from July 13, 2025.
Investigations revealed that certain marketers, who were granted discounted products intended to ensure affordability and steady nationwide supply, had been diverting loaded trucks to unregistered third-party marketers. This diversion allowed them to profit from the price differential while bypassing operational costs such as logistics and compliance.
The discounted pricing scheme, designed to help Dangote’s registered affiliate marketers maintain stable profit margins and ensure nationwide product availability, was being exploited as some marketers resold products directly from the refinery’s tarmac at prices above the agreed subsidised rate.
In a letter to all strategic partners signed by Fatima Dangote, Group Executive Director of Commercial Operations, the company stated:
“DPRP Management is suspending the discounted price offered to Partners effective 13th July 2025 and working towards restructuring the scheme.”
The refinery, however, clarified that all outstanding Product Release Notes issued at the discounted rate before the suspension date would remain valid. Payments completed before July 13 would still be honoured at the discounted rate.
An oil and gas expert, Olatide Jeremiah, confirmed that some affiliate marketers had been diverting products to non-registered marketers to make quick profits. He noted that marketers were taking advantage of Dangote’s discount scheme and selling products at N819 per litre instead of the official N825, bypassing retail station operations.
Recent market checks show that non-affiliated marketers who rely on imported fuel have continued to align their prices with Dangote’s registered marketers, with ex-depot prices averaging N820 per litre, down from N835 at the start of last week.
Although the refinery did not publicly name the defaulting marketers, its strategic partners include MRS Oil, Heyden Petroleum, Ardova Plc, Hyde Energy, Optima Energy, Techno Oil, TotalEnergies, Garima Petroleum, Sunbeth Energies, Sobaz Nigeria Ltd, Virgin Forest Energy, Sixxco Oil Ltd, NU Synergy Ltd, and Soroman Nigeria Ltd.
The refinery assured stakeholders that the strategic partnership program will continue, albeit with a restructured framework, and urged retail stations to maintain the recommended pump prices to avoid further market distortion.
