Depot marketers under the Dangote Marketers Group have raised the alarm over Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s new strategy to distribute petrol and diesel directly to retailers nationwide, bypassing traditional middlemen.
The marketers described the move, set to begin August 15, as a “death sentence” to their role in the downstream oil value chain.
“They’ve killed the supply chain,” one marketer said in a group chat. Others called it “an evolution masked as a revolution,” warning it could lead to widespread job losses and business closures.
Traditionally, depot marketers bridge the gap between depot owners and filling stations by providing credit, logistical support, and transportation. Dangote’s new approach replaces this structure with a fully integrated system — including credit options and a CNG-powered fleet of 4,000 trucks — for direct delivery of sealed products to end users.
“This is not a revolution. It’s the beginning of a one-man show,” a marketer lamented.
They also criticized regulatory silence, urging agencies like the NMDPRA and former PEF to clarify the rules of engagement to prevent monopolistic control.
With fears rising over potential price hikes and loss of livelihoods, the marketers are calling for policy safeguards to ensure fair competition in the fuel distribution market.
